Memories and Moments
by Fraise Creme
Summary: [TLoZ Chapters]: A sequel right after "Aftermath". The trio have come to the woods to hike, train, and admire what nature has to offer; where many adventures will await them that will unravel truths they have known... and truths yet to unfold. Rated T for mild offensive language and mild suggestive humor. / Genre: Friendship, comedy, drama, horror/suspense, action, angst
1. Chapter 1: It Begins

**Author's note:**

**Please** take note that the whole story will **_NOT_** revolve around chatrooms styles such as these. Think of Chapter 1 as some sort of a prologue to the actual story; a rather unconventional way to put it. As a somewhat direct sequel to "Aftermath", the story flow will remain similar. This takes place presumably a few weeks or months after my oneshot "Just Taking the Train".

Although I must say this fic will be actually much, much longer than Aftermath, I hope you'll all like it. It's still about the usual cast and a couple of new faces.

And please take note that some inside jokes here are deviantART-related, as it was the first site I've uploaded this to. The **"BUZZ"** thing is some sort of a buzz feature in their chatroom to alert people. Minor alterations to Dark's joke (where Vio replies "Win. =))") has been changed due to font requirements. Dark's link to unlocking Ezlo is sadly deleted also due to font requirements.

Anyways.

Enough chatter from me for now. I hope you all have fun reading "Memories and Moments"!

* * *

**Chapter 1: It Begins…**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** how to unlock ezlo as ur little hat in brawl for both toon link and tp link

**TheWindWakersDream: **No. Dark... not upon entering the chatroom…

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** :iconohohoplz:  
:iconlolwhydontplziconsworkin fanfictionsplz:  
i rest my case. XD

**SorcerersApprentice:** Hahaha! XD  
Hey Dark~

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**who?

**SorcerersApprentice:** :P  
You don't know? XD

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** meeeh, no waaaaaay….  
how'd you get yourself a laptop?

**SorcerersApprentice:**It's Grandpa Smith's birthday present to me! YAAAAAAAY! X3

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** O_O  
… you  
… you  
…you with something hard and sandpapery.

**TheWindWakersDream:** XD  
Anywaaaays… you all ready for next week? Get your things all packed?  
Did Ezlo allow you to go?

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**let me borrow that top

**TheWindWakersDream:**No.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**let me borrow that top

**TheWindWakersDream:**No.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**let me borrow that top

**TheWindWakersDream:**No.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**let me borrow that f***in top

**TheWindWakersDream:**No.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**let me borrow that f***in laptop

**TheWindWakersDream:**Wtf?

**SorcerersApprentice:** Master Elzo let me go.  
*Ezlo. EZLO! Dear, he's gonna kill me. 8D

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**now I know how to piss that dude off. Muahahaha elzo hahaha elzo muahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahaha

**TheWindWakersDream:**So we're all okay.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**hahahahahahahahahaha

**SorcerersApprentice:**Yep, got all my things packed. :D

**TheWindWakersDream:**Good. Me too. :)

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** hahahahahahahahahaha  
hahahahahahahahahaha  
hahahahahahahahahahahaha  
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahaha  
MUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA AAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAA AAAAAA!  
elzo  
elzo  
elzo  
elzo  
ELZO

**TheWindWakersDream:** …  
You done?

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **;)

**TheWindWakersDream: **Good. Hey, Vaati. Is it okay for you to stay up this late?

**SorcerersApprentice: **I guess so. :)

**TheWindWakersDream: **Really? It's already 1:47 AM.

**SorcerersApprentice: **X3

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **so that's settled. what do we do now?

**TheWindWakersDream: **I dunno.

***RubyAngelsBlush has signed in.**

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **OH FFFFF…

**TheWindWakersDream: **Red? I thought…

**RubyAngelsBlush:** teeheeheehee~  
i can stay up this late, greenie~

**SorcerersApprentice: **Hi, Red! :)

**RubyAngelsBlush:** hi vaati~~~  
good to hear you have your own account!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** the heck. the heck. the heck. the heck. the heck. the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.  
the heck.

**RubyAngelsBlush: **i didn't know that dark was here~

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** **BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**

**TheWindWakersDream: **Stop it.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** **BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
Why halo thar, young Red. I, Pedo Bear, have taken over Dark's account. What was your age again? OwO

***RubyAngelsBlush has signed out.**

**TheWindWakersDream:**Did you have to say that?

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

**TheWindWakersDream: **QUIT SCREWING WITH THE CHAT ROOM!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** ;P  
red had to ruin the fun.

**TheWindWakersDream: **Why do you make fun of him, anyway?

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **it's just as fun as having to piss you off all the time.

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

***ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed in.**

**TheWindWakersDream:**STOP IIIIT!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOOO~  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**

***tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall has signed in.**

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**

***VelvetBooks has signed in.**

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**  
**BUZZ!**

**TheWindWakersDream:** Brb, gotta help Grandpa with something for a while.  
Only gonna take a minute.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **meh

**VelvetBooks: **So I heard you guys would want to go to the mountains next week?

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **yep. actually it was supposed to be only for vaati and link, but I convinced them.

**VelvetBooks:** With that mind of yours, no doubt. ;)  
Well, actually… we're going with you. We'll be merging with Green again with the help of the Four Sword.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** okay. good to hear that.  
8D

**VelvetBooks: **So I heard that he let us come just as long as we go in him as one person again. But he didn't tell me anything about you…

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **meh. i don't think he wanted me to come. i dunno. :P

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **how did you convince green? he's a tough cookie. :P

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** yeah, like one that got left out in the sun for a week.  
he tastes soggy and moldy.  
yeah and fuzzy too.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **excuse me while i puke having that mental image

**VelvetBooks: **Eew. :P

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** lol  
anywaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays  
well I asked him nicely at first but he said no…  
but then i asked him a question  
are you sure that hiking is your only objective going to an isolated place?

**VelvetBooks: **And… what did he say?

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** he asked me what i meant.  
then i told him that he could not be trusted… especially with vaati.  
he could have gone there to do something to the poor vaati~  
lol, the worst part is… there are no witnesses.

**TheWindWakersDream: **I'm baaack!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** he could've made him scream because…  
you guys know what I mean, right? ;)  
so when i said my idea to link, he hyperventilated. lol. XDDDDDD

**VelvetBooks:** Haha. :D  
Oh. Welcome back, Green.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** wb  
lol creepy. id never wanna go alone with that guy.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** haha lolyeah. actually we're all the same person but still different.  
we'd never know what the other link is up to  
and vice versa

**TheWindWakersDream:** D8  
I see what you did thar!  
DARK!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** hey that's why i wanted to go with you two!  
i can never be too careful…  
the way you interact with vaati…  
and now you wanna be alone with him  
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUU

**TheWindWakersDream: **Fine, think that way! I know that it's not true! :I

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **lol denial.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** you know what? i personally think that you're just as bad as he is.  
yes i'm talking about you, blue. 8D  
you're like him  
only your target is red.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **WHAT ABOUT YOU?! YOU LIKE BOTH VAATI AND VOI!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** i like no one.  
and i can prove that to you. ;)

**VelvetBooks:** Ha.  
He's right. But still, aren't we getting farfetched from what we're REALLY talking about?  
And it's VIO. Get it right. :/

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **lol. XDDDDD

**TheWindWakersDream:** "^^" You're right.  
What'll Vaati say about us?

**VelvetBooks: **He's online?

**TheWindWakersDream: **Yeah, but maybe he's afk.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** this  
is

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **a demonstrative pronoun

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** no! this  
is

**VelvetBooks: **Boorish. ;P

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** FFFFFFFF  
this  
is

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **PASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~ =¬=

**TheWindWakersDream: **LOLOLOLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL !

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** asjf;dkljfal;skjga;sjg;asldjfa;sldjkf  
this  
is

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **dfkalsdkfja;lsjfa;jgadkjfa;sdjfa;kfja;jgoiga;lsdjfak

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** kdfja;lskfjal;sdkfjaowirjasdvnasldnvaoijfg EF  
wefkq 'j;kdnflskmflakmdfksmdfasdfmasm fv'slkmfva  
slfmasdkfjmaskjdfalkmfa;lsfje;galkfgvnakfgjas  
fsakdfja;skgjq;rigjskdmfval;fjadfjaskldfja;sldkjf

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **ldkfj;aslfjao;wifja;flasnvl;ajnfg;lasjkdf;laskmflaknfv

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **asl;kdjfaijf qndnvasjfqaisjdfsdkmvals qjifqwjfqwecowkef[qworkfqioj

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **skldfj;wij q;fn;qjfamgv;aoirgaijqwkmq;lwrkjmgipqaerjln

**VelvetBooks: **Even I can't comprehend this language of which they speak. Yet they understand each other, these foolishly foolish fools.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **;aslkfja;sdjfaskjga;nvl;akfv?

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **asl;kfjas;fjafja;sdkfja;sldkjfa;slk!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **SDJFAS;KLAJSIGVJASVNAFDJVNAFJNVA;FV;ALJA;LK!

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **VACUOLE

**TheWindWakersDream: **Stop it. Hey, where's Vaati? .

**VelvetBooks: **asdfasdfasdf. Was that right?

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **lol yus and u get a free vacuole for trying.

**VelvetBooks: **Win. =))

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **XD

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **vatii's here?

**VelvetBooks: **Va-a-ti.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** fine  
vatti

**VelvetBooks:** XI  
VA-A-TI.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **vvati

**TheWindWakersDream: ***facepalm*

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:**holy crap I'm actually enjoying this. 8D

**VelvetBooks:** VA  
A  
TI  
GET IT RIGHT.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** FINE  
where's that little midget anyway

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **vaati? hey come on dude

**TheWindWakersDream: **Vaati? Come on, please answer us.

**SorcerersApprentice:** This is Master Ezlo. Vaati's asleep in front of his laptop. Go to sleep already.  
It's late.  
Very late.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** what  
the  
hck  
srsly

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **but it's just 2.26 in the morning!

**VelvetBooks: **Gotta go. Still have to attend a trainee soldier's retreat this morning. I'm the mentor.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** shy hasn't vaati signed out yet  
*why

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **ezlo doesn't know how XDDDD

**VelvetBooks: **And yes, he can still read this. Hope that he already turned the PC off.

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **if he knows how.

**VelvetBooks: **Well, it's time for me to go. Good night, everyone. 0:-)

**TheWindWakersDream: **Goodnight. :D

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **Night, Vio~3 *hugs and kisses*

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall: **hope the bedbugs bite.

***VelvetBooks has signed out.**

**TheWindWakersDream: **Well, time for me to hit the hay, too.

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04:** dang i'd stay up until 5 in the morning if it werent for you 2 DX  
i still need to pack a few more things…

**tehL33tbloopwner300: **hey come on dark! lets have a no sleeping contest!

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **sorry not this time. ;P

**TheWindWakersDream: **G'night, Blue. :)

***TheWindWakersDream has signed out.**

**ShAdOwStAlKeR_04: **same here

*** ShAdOwStAlKeR_04 has signed out.**

**tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall:** heeellllooooooooooooo?  
h  
e  
l  
l  
o

dangit.

*** tehL33tbl00pwner300pwnzuall has signed out.**


	2. Chapter 2: Link, Dark, and Shadow Link

Here's where it really begins. Have fun reading! :)

* * *

**Chapter 2: Link, Dark, and Shadow Link**

"Magic or physical brute force? Which do you say is better?"

"I say I'm better at sword-fighting." Link replied to his shadow.

"I love magic even better." Vaati countered.

"Pffft. I can deal with both. That's how cool I am." Dark answered his own question.

As planned, the boys went on their hiking trip. They stayed in the woods where the waterfalls splashed down on a small body of water. They all unpacked their things in the land with scarce grass nearby. Trees surrounded the small spot where they were to stay.

"And why am I asking this? It's because…" Dark looked sinisterly at Vaati.

He threw an orb of dark power at the Hylian-Minish, but missed.

"Aaaah, I see. For training?" Vaati said once standing straight after evading the blow.

"It's because I wanted to know if I always pwn you two. And I do!" Dark took off his normal outfit that revealed his short black trunks and dived right in the pool of water.

Vaati merely stared at Dark who already enjoyed himself in the water. He performed a cannonball upon diving and performed a few more diving tricks.

"O… kay." Link said. When Vaati turned to him, he was already in his swimming attire. He wore the same plain white shirt with the green swimming trunks. He slowly walked into the water when Dark suddenly appeared in front of him, with cheeks bloated up.

"What the…"

Just as Link was about to speak, Dark sprayed water on his face from his mouth.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW WWWWWWWWW! I'm gonna get you!" Link quickly dived into the water to wash his face. "I FEEL SO UNCLEAAAAN!"

Vaati got into his sleeveless shirt and purple trunks and dived right into the water with them.

The Minish wasn't that good with swimming, so he stayed at the edges with the shallowest parts of the water pool. He just sat there, feeling relaxed by the refreshing sound of the waterfalls and nature altogether. He closed his eyes and felt the water all around him, caressing hi-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Vaati sank down in the water as if he was drawn in suddenly.

"Vaati!" Link shouted, but it was too late. His friend fell for a trap in the water… "Oh no… what'll Ezlo think?!"

The hero acted like his own noble self again; the same feeling when he is about to rescue something or someone, like the town or the princess Zelda. He dived into the water to look for Vaati. He searched everywhere, the shallow depths of the little pool, everywhere. Until he came across two pairs of legs wading in the water…

He rose up to the surface and found that Dark and Vaati were just wading above him a few moments ago. They were both laughing at Link who obviously was ticked off. Vaati put his emo bangs aside and revealed both his eyes. He then smiled at Link, who was pouting at the both of them.

"Next time, I'm not gonna jump to your rescue so easily, Vaati…" Link looked at him with a face so ticked off.

"Okay, okay!" giggled Vaati.

"And as for you…" Link turned to his other self.

He then splashed water right onto his other self, but missed. Dark flew up to the air, taunting him. He was in a position such that he was posed like a resting Egyptian queen of some sort.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Dark laughed as he flew away. He went to the highest point of the low waterfall before them, about 20 feet off the water's surface.

"Wanna see something real cool?"

"Be CAREFUL!" Vaati shouted at him.

"Tsss… of course!" At that, Dark jumped and performed a cannonball. He splashed just in front of his other two friends, watching him. He merged in the water…

… not rising to the surface.

"Y-you think he's alright?" Vaati asked very worriedly.

"Of course, that's Dark after all." said Link. Though he may sound confident, he still feared for his shadow. What if he was not okay as he thought?

While they waited for the shadow, they saw something rise before them…

… it was Dark! He's okay!

But what the two saw made them both scream and run out of the water.

Dark did indeed make it, but he only rose so that his head may partially show; his nose was still submerged in water. It could be seen that he smiled, for his eyes seemed to have been contorted in that emotion. But… from where his nose is…

… blood came out.

"HEY! Don't you wanna swim with meeeeee?!" Dark said as he laughed it all off.

Much, much later…

"Well…" Link settled on one of the three logs gathered around the campfire.

"Yeah?" Dark said as he put in more firewood. He wiped his nose with tissue and saw that his nosebleed was getting better.

"Nothing. It's just that… it feels as though as we've had an outing to ourselves rather than just training."

"Yeah, it does seem so." Vaati came out of the tent wearing his tunic nightgown. He settled on the middle log, trying to warm himself up while holding his beloved plush cucco.

"Don't worry, Vaati." Dark said, turning to Vaati with naughty eyes. "I know just how to warm you up."

"No, thank you!" blushed Vaati. He tried not to look at Dark.

"What were you thinking? I was merely saying that I was to put more firewood!" Dark said, doing as he said so. "Well?"

"Well…" Vaati looked sheepish.

"Oh… you were talking about… this!" Dark lunged at Vaati and…

"DAAAARK!" shouted Link.

Dark was on top of Vaati, wiggling around and emitting questionable noises. Vaati was helpless under his weight… the shadow held both of Vaati's wrists overhead with one hand as his other hand, well…

"YOU SPOONY…" just as Link was about to finish, he realized that his friends were making a fool of him once more.

Dark knelt and let go of Vaati, both panting and blushing.

"Yeah?" said the shadow, looking at his master.

"Well…" Link said, putting his hands on his hips, smiling.

"L-Link… he…" Vaati blushed even harder.

"Spare me the details, Vaati. You two did it again, didn't you?" Link said, smiling wider. "You put your hand on his mouth and pretended to kiss again, huh?"

"Hahahahahaha!" Dark laughed out loud as he stood up.

"Heeehee! Fooled you, huh?" Vaati said.

"Only the first times will." Link said, sitting on his log again.

Vaati picked up Robin, his beloved plush cucco, and sat on the middle log. Dark also took a seat on the remaining log.

"You know what I'd do? I wish I was able to steal that fire rod from Red so I wouldn't be starting fire the manual way." Dark said, pointing at the fire and fueling it with dark energy of his own.

"You call that manual?! That's barely manual!" Link shouted, almost nagging at Dark.

"Well, it saps some of my power away, you know? I wanna be able to stay up until four in the morning as I always do, not just until twelve… it's just not me, you know? I'm a shadow… I need the darkness, not some happy-happy, joy-joy sunlight! Ugh, that's why I like picking on Red so much, he's such a pansy." Dark complained.

"Hmmmm….." Vaati looked into the fire and seemed to be in a different world, a place of his own. He seemed so absorbed into his thoughts.

"Hey, hey, Vaati!" Link said, snapping his fingers before Vaati's eyes.

Vaati was tad surprised and shook his head then looked at Link. He nodded to give him a signal that he's okay.

"Good… I thought that you were so drawn to the flame."

"Actually, that's not what I was thinking…"

"Hm?" Dark seemed to be intrigued.

"Well," Vaati moved about a bit nervously, hugging Robin tighter in his arms. "I was just wondering how the two of you became friends, considering that you were both rivals and all from the very beginning… I… I hope you don't mind…"

"Not at all." Link smiled.

"Why not? I guess we could tell you everything besides the usual ghost story routine. We can always do that later." Dark smiled along with Link, not giving eye contact to Vaati.

"Now how'd it go again…?" Link rubbed his chin, trying to recall. "Oh right…"

Link began narrating his story…

"It was just a year ago… it was a very cloudy morning, but it seemed like nighttime because of the dark rain clouds hovering above me. It looked as if it was about to rain any time soon, which meant bad luck for me, since I was just in the forest, looking for my way out. It seemed so hopeless…"

"Until, me, your prince charming came along!" Dark butted in.

"Shush up! You're messing it all up!" Link said, letting an angry face. "Anyway…" he continued.

"… I looked for a tree to rest under its shade. Just to help me recollect my thoughts and find a way out. But then… there it is. I saw something black in the far-off distance. But wait… it looks human… I squinted my eyes to try and make out what it was, but to my surprise… I saw…

_'S-Shadow Link?!'_I burst out. It was him! It was the devil!" Link pointed to his friend Dark as he told of the appearance of the shadow. The shadow's response to this action of Link? A blank stare.

"Oh, SHUT UP!" Dark said, threatening Link that he may bite off the hero's finger.

"And then, yeah… there's Shadow right before me. He cat-walked on his way to mine, with each delicate step as threatening and menacing as his cat-like face… Hey, Dark? Would you do your share of the story and say out your lines?"

"Sure… we'll tell this story like pros!"

Going back to the hero's story, it went along like this:

As the shadow approached the hero, he gave out a sinister smile.

"And so we meet again." said Shadow Link in a voice that seemed to come from a well, distant, mysterious, and echoic.

"Shadow…" Link the hero said, unsheathing his sword from where he sat. He immediately got up and confronted the shadow.

"Well? Is that how you say hello to someone you haven't seen for a long time?" Shadow flaunted his flowing black hat of dark aura and looked at the hero's baby blue eyes with his own. His purple hair remained as dark as always.

"Hmph." Link merely scoffed and prepared his battle stance. He stared into the shadow's eyes.

"Hahahahaha. We'll see how this turns out. Let's see who will have his last requiem!" Shadow prepared himself as well, wielding his sword born of black magic.

"Bring it on."

Just as the two readied themselves, rain began to pour. It was soft and soothing as they decided to begin their battle…

"HIYAAAAAAH!" Link tried to thrust his sword.

"Too slow! I'm right here!" Shadow taunted as he flew and dodged the hero's blows.

"Come here and fight like a man!"

"Sure." Shadow lazily tightened his grip on his sword and unleashed dark power with it. He pushed the hero with its strength.

"Nnnh!" Link was taken aback by the shadow's blow. It created an amount of smoke that circled him. It obstructed his vision…

... but managed to block the cunning shadow's attack from behind!

The two had quite the sword fight. Since they were both very skilled and that both were the same person for that matter, they blocked each other's blows with their own. Not long after, Link cornered his dark self to a tree. The shadow frowned at his eventual defeat but…

"Uh…what the heck is that?!" Shadow looked very surprised and looked behind Link.

"H-huh?" Link grew curious. Was it impending danger?

Yes.

Shadow Link pushed him away and sought to stab the hero with the opportunity wide open. But alas, Link was far too alert.

"Hah! I didn't think you would fall for that so easily!" Shadow laughed as he was fighting Link's strong guard against him.

"Hehe, well…" Link continued fighting against his shadow, through his impregnable guard.

At long last, Link sent Shadow's sword flying in the air…

"!" The shadow's eyes widened as the cold metal of the hero's sword was touching his neck. He was cornered to the tree as the hero looked at him with piercing eyes… piercing eyes that replaced the once gentle eyes.

The both of them were suffering from minor wounds from the sword fight. And both were panting from the wearisome battle they had.

"I'll make you a deal… I'll let you go… if you promise not to cause mayhem…"

"Never." Shadow pushed him away and attempted to grab his sword on the ground when Link grabbed him from behind, giving him an arm lock.

"Nnnhh... nrghhh! Let... let go! LET GO, I SAY!"

The shadow tried to struggle free, but the hero was too strong. Link tightened his grip and pulled his arm some more.

"A…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Just give it up already. There's no way for you to win this one."

"No…" Shadow closed his eyes in pain, with tears that formed on his eyes which merged with the rain drops trickling down his face.

"Hmph."

Just then, the shadow burst free from the hero's grip. He emitted a dark aura, one that seemed to have never come out from him before. He floated in mid-air, leaving the hero astonished.

"Hahaha… you think I came here unprepared, hero of Hyrule?!"

Link stared as the shadow emitted a lot of black magic from his body and slowly began to change its form.

He could see it… his shadow slowly changing its baby blue eyes to red, its skin becoming more devoid of any color, its hair becoming darker… until it was all black. It became tad longer compared to its length before. The shadow became more sinister-looking than his previous form. It then landed on the ground on its feet, its head tilted down and its eyes closed.

It then looked at Link and pointed a finger at him.

"Hahaha… Link… behold my alternate form."

"Sh-Shadow… what…?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! I AM NOT A SHADOW! I BELONG TO NO ONE! NOT YOU, NOT ANYONE!"

"But-"

Just as Link was about to speak, Shadow launched an orb of dark energy to him. But luckily, the hero evaded.

"Don't you DARE call me your shadow! I am my own self…"

"I don't see why this other form is so special…"

"Hmph. You shall see… when your time is drawn near… which is NOW!"

Shadow began shooting a lot of dark bullets from himself, chasing after Link in the woods. He laughed sinisterly as he saw the hero scurrying away from him as he hovered in the air.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! You haven't seen anything yet!"

"Grr… this is bullet hell!" Link complained to himself. "Aaaagh!"

The hero was shot down with the aura. He limped down on the wet grounds as he struggled to get up. But it was too late…

… Shadow wrapped his dark tentacles around the hero's body. They seem to have come out from his aura. As the hero struggled in his grip, he smiled sinisterly and looked into the hero's eyes.

"Now do you see why this form is so special? It's a form… of mimicry."

"M…mimicry…? AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The hero screamed in pain as the grip was tightened a lot more.

"Yes. You heard me… mimicry. Tell me, what do these tentacles remind you of?"

"A… aah… the… the wind…"

"Exactly. That wretch who used the Dark Mirror and calls himself MY creator. Pfffft. I don't believe in such nonsense. I know what he once was… and always will be… a wimp. He is now sealed in that mirror… forever."

"W-what…?"

"Yes… YES! FOREVER!" he threw Link to the trees and gave him such a hard landing. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN!"

"It… it's not over yet…" the hero clad in green tried to stand with the aid of his sword.

"And you know what else? With this form… I am now able to roam the light world freely!" said the menacing shadow.

"N-no…" Link stood up straight, although a bit wobbly. "I can't let you!"

"My… aren't we about done here?"

"Of course not!" Link readied his sword and lunged straight for his shadow.

"The persistent one…" Shadow tried to block off his attacks with his aura. "Pity, pity… how pitiful you are, my dear boy. I can't believe you would go as far as to fight to your death."

With each blow, Shadow felt his barrier becoming weak… which threatened him. He tried to put up a stronger barrier in order for Link not to get him but…

…here comes the hero, with his sword in hand, ready to lunge at the core of the dark aura.

"Hmph." Shadow created a sword of pure black magic and decided to lunge back at Link.

The two Links crossed each other…

… and there was bloodshed. Drops of blood fell on the pure rain water on the ground…

…both Links had their share of wounds, but one had to go down…

"I…impossible…"

The dark Link looked up at the sky with blood gushing from his mouth. He closed his eyes, touched the stab wound on his abdomen, and fell to the ground face down. He grunted in utter pain and curled up as a result. He then saw the boots of a hero right before him.

He shakily looked up at the hero, with the sword pointed at his face. The winds blew harshly and the rains could never get any stronger. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

_'This is fate… I was… and always will be defeated… but now, I am finished for sure…'_

The shadow Link waited for his eventual demise…

But then he heard the sound of metal clanging. He was curious, but never looked up. All he felt was the cold winds and the harsh rain beating down on him. It's as if even nature itself was against him… it seemed as though no one understands his being…

"Hey, you all right?"

"H-huh?"

He could feel his body slowly lifted from the ground. He felt it limp onto something. He wanted to know what it was that exactly happened, but didn't have the strength to do so. He can't even open his eyes.

Everything was black, but he could swear that he heard water rippling. Rippling water… but it doesn't seem to be so harsh like the previous rain he had been under. In fact, he felt dry… he felt warm, comforted and…

… damp? From the rain maybe, but someone is touching him with something damp…

"WHATTHEHECKISGOINGONMOTHAEFF ING-"

"Shhh… Shadow, SHADOW!"

After his outburst, the shadow looked at his left. He saw that the hero was just there, his sleeves all rolled up with a wet cloth in his hands. There was a basin of what used to be clear water, but was tainted by a dark red substance.

"M-my…" the shadow winced in pain, and then he looked at his wound. It was wrapped up in fresh bandages. "T-that in the water… is my blood…"

"Yes…" Link said, getting the basin. "If you will please excuse me, I will get some more fresh water."

The hero left with the blood-filled basin. Then everything was quiet.

The shadow could still hear the harsh rain outside. This time, it was accompanied by the menacing melody of thunder which accompanied the dancing lightning.

_'Hoo boy, was I lucky not to be under that weather…'_

He heard the door creak and turned to the direction of the noise. It was the hero, and as he promised, he was back with the basin of crystal clear water.

"Now hold still…" the hero said, holding the cloth in his left hand.

"What the heck…" Dark could only stutter. He felt the cloth slowly rubbed onto his face with the refreshing water.

"Feel better now, Shadow?"

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT!" he wanted to hit Link, but he was far too weak. Link merely caught his fist and let it down.

"Very well, I won't call you that. What would you want me to call you then?"

"Link. The great hero Link."

"There's only room for one Link." he said firmly, the gentle eyes once again replaced by piercing eyes.

The hero stood up and grabbed his sword. He looked into the shadow's crimson eyes.

"There's only room for one Link." repeated the hero.

"Nnngh…" the shadow looked fierce, but was as helpless as a kitten.

He bowed his head and closed his eyes, knowing that Link just took him in to finish him off here. He never knew that his master was so sadistic.

"Therefore, I hereby dub thee, 'Dark Link'!" Link said as he placed the sword's blade on the shoulder of his shadow.

"H-huh?"

"You heard me, 'Dark'."

"How…" the shadow looked up at him. "How DARE you rename ME?!"

"Would you rather prefer your previous name, dear shadow of mine?"

"Hmph." Dark looked to his side. "Why… why did you save me, anyway?"

"Because… you're still me. You're still a part of me, Dark."

"Hmph… you're just saying that." the shadow gave a cynical look.

"No… because you are me… and I am you."

"!"

Upon hearing those words, Dark became shocked and tears began to stream from his eyes. "You… those words… those words are… you really accept me?"

"Of course." Link gave out his radiant smile. "Because without you, we would never have defeated the evil sorcerer."

"Link…" Dark shied away. "I don't believe… that I really deserve your trust."

"Nonsense!"

"Really now?" smiled Dark. "Even if I do this?"

Dark flipped the water basin and splashed all its contents onto Link's face. Link merely stared at him.

"Even so."

"Even if I do this?" Dark said, pulling both of Link's ears simultaneously.

"Even so."

"Even if I do… this?" he bit Link's ear.

"Even… so…" said the hero. But this time, Link seemed a bit irritated.

"Even if I do…" Dark approached Link's computer.

"HECK NO!" Link yelled at him and pointed a finger at him.

"Hahaha, I was waiting for that answer. You know, Link? You're too sweet for your own good. And I just don't dig that, dig?"

"Tsss… fine. If you want it that way, so be it."

"Hahahaha. Okay."

"And that's how we started being friends." Link said, finally back to the present reality.

"Haha, yeahp." Dark said, popping a few more marshmallows in his mouth. "Hey… hey, Vaati!" Dark pointed to his mouth. At that, Vaati threw a marshmallow in Dark's mouth. "Thank you."

"So when I met you, Vaati's shadow already repaired the Dark Mirror, huh?" the hero asked his alter ego.

"'Fraid so." he popped more marshmallows in his mouth. "And by that time, I already stole it from him and had it all to myself. My little pet kept it in its care in our usual hangout in that mountain cave. THAT'S how I finally had the chance to give you the chase."

"And now… this. We're all fine now, even with Vaati's shadow… wow, how time flies." said Link with wonder.

"Wow, that's… quite a tale…" Vaati exclaimed.

"Yeah, he just had to nurse us both after a long stay in the rain, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"That sick pervert."

"What?" Link inquired, confused by the shadow's sudden statement.

"Pervert. Tell me, who gave us a bath and dressed us up, huh? I'm sure he enjoyed it a lot."

"Ohmigosh…" the Hylian-Minish blushed and looked at his green-clad friend.

"Hey! I'm not-" Just as Link was about to defend himself…

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Dark raised a bag of uncooked popcorn over the flame and almost immediately, the popcorn inside it popped. With the aid of his dark magic, he propelled the kernels directly to Link… and there were a lot of them!

"Nghoooooooh!" was all the blonde could exclaim as the popcorn piled up on him and hit him directly on the face!

"Nyanyanyanya-nya~" Dark taunted as he slapped his hindquarters.

"OOOOOH! I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE YOU!" Link chased after his shadow.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Dark took off and flew around the camp site.

"Oh, guys…" Vaati smiled at his two friends as they chased each other. It didn't seem like they both had such a past… they looked so happy. And just seeing that, Vaati felt that he made the right choice of friends.


	3. Chapter 3: Vaati's Origins

**Author's Notes:**

Now that we know what Shadow and Link had gone through (and just how exactly Shadow got his new nickname), let's take a little peek at Vaati's past.

While writing this, I've listened to Perry's theme (Super Princess Peach), and found it strangely fitting. ;_;

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

* * *

**Chapter 3: Vaati's Origins**

Vaati merely let his friends chase each other as he deeply stared into the embers of the flame before him.

"It's… warm…"

It was then that something black flashed through his eyes. He blinked to confirm if he was only seeing things. Half-expecting that it was just his imagination, he just shrugged it off.

"DARK!"

Vaati lifted his head to see the hero. The hero quickly passed by him and dashed inside the tent, where he supposedly saw that 'something black' that just passed by.

"DARK! NEED I REMIND YOU THAT NOT ALL CHUCHUS ARE…"

"OH, GOD! A BLACK CHUCHU! IT'S SO FRIGGIN ADORABLE THAT I JUST WANT TO…"

_'Oh dear…'_ thought the Hylian-Minish.

"OH, GOD! IT'S WRIGGLING IN MY HANDS! OH, LOOK AT THOSE EYES! AH, GOD!"

After Dark said those words while rummaging around in their tent, Vaati could swear that he heard a chomping sound, and…

"EEEEEEWWWWW!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you…"

"I was hoping for a blackberry-flavored chu but…"

"What does it taste like?"

"GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! TASTES LIKE ONE-YEAR-OLD GREASE! CAR GASOLINE! MOTORBIKE DIESEL! MIDNIGHT OIL!"

Hearing his friends' silly conversation, Vaati giggled. He looked at the tent which seemed to be finally undisturbed after the wild goose chase of the two. He looked back at the bonfire, feeling its warmth in the cold night.

Just then, the long-haired boy felt something by his legs. "H-Huh?"

When he looked down, he saw the injured chuchu jelly, scurrying for its life away from the clutches of the Links, especially the shadow.

"WAAAATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEERRRRR!" shouted the shadow as he darted out of the tent and practically submerged his whole head in the nearby spring.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Dark let out some gasps for air as he withdrew his head from the spring.

"Feel better?" Link said, by this time, beside his shadow.

Instead of answering his owner's question, he dunked his head into the water again.

"Tsss…" Link merely smiled at this and patted Dark's back. The shadow resembled that of an ostrich hiding its head in land… although, this time the "ostrich" was dunking his head in water! "If you don't mind, I'll just be accompanying Vaati over there."

As Dark waved his hand, signaling to Link that it was okay, the hero approached Vaati and sat down on one of the three logs as he did before.

"Hey." He called out to the Minish, but the boy didn't seem to hear him.

The Minish seemed to be so engrossed in the fury of the flames that he was drawn to it. He stared at the flames so intently, as if studying its every flicker…

"HEY!" the Hylian-Minish jumped on his seat as he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was the hero.

"I… I…" Vaati tightened his grip on his cucco and buried his face in it. Later, the hero heard sobs…

"H-Hey! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you! Hey, come on!" Link said, sitting beside the crying boy.

"What did you do this time?" Dark said, smirking at the hero as he tried to dry his hair and ears with a towel.

"I… I think I surprised him…"

"Teh. Really now. Hey, come on, Vaati. It's alright. As disgustingly scary and revolting as my light self is, you need not be scared for I am here."

Link glared at his shadow.

"…And he's completely harmless. I gave him an anti-rabies vaccine before and…"

"THAT would be enough." Link said, raising a brow, obviously pissed off yet again.

"Teeheehee… OOOO-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOOO~!" Dark began laughing in triumph, his hand in such a position as one would whisper to his side, while his arm supported his other bent arm with the said hand.

Vaati raised his head up and tried to look at the other two. "I-It's not that, guys…"

"Sshhhh!" Link signaled his shadow. Dark immediately stopped, gave out a serious face and sat beside Vaati as well.

Now that the two Links were beside Vaati, the Minish felt a bit more comfortable somehow. The two remained silent, waiting for Vaati's explanation.

"I-It's nothing, really…" Vaati said, wiping his tears with Robin and his sleeves.

"It's 'nothing'?" Dark repeated sarcastically. "You say suddenly bursting out in tears is 'nothing'?"

"Come on, Vaati… surely you cried because of something." Link comforted him.

"W-Well… I…" Vaati eyes widened and pointed to the woods. "What in heaven's name is that?!"

Link hurriedly turned his head and tried to see what Vaati saw. Without hesitating, he walked cautiously to the nearby trees. The two can still see him, for he never really went inside the cluster of trees. He tried peering through the thick trees…

As Link left, Vaati slowly tiptoed his way to the tent.

"HOLD it right there." Dark said as he grabbed Vaati's wrist tightly.

"Nnhhh… Dark! Let go!"

"Trying to ditch us, eh?" smirked the black-haired youth.

Dark's eyes pierced Vaati's. The Minish was left staring into the shadow hero's eyes, as if in a trance.

"Tell me. Tell me everything."

Just then, Dark's head began to hurt and he knelt on the ground, with his palms to his temples. He screamed in pain and caught Link's attention. Vaati was so stunned that he did not know what to do. He just stood there.

"Dark, what's wrong?" Link asked worriedly.

"Nnnhhh… someone's… messing with my mind…" Dark looked at Vaati. "Vaati… your… your shadow… knows me, after all… as this form of 'Dark'…"

"H-Huh?" Vaati wondered.

"Only shadows who know me can interact with me like this… he must've known about my alternate form after that fight…"

"What's it doing to you?" Link said.

Dark stood up, feeling a bit better. He stared directly into Vaati's eyes… but his time, it was not as threatening, although his piercing crimson eyes always looked fierce.

"I'm sorry, man… I… I mean… I think your shadow tried to protect you from me." Dark said, settling on the middle log.

"R-Really now…?"

The three settled on the middle log with Vaati in between the two. The winds gently danced for them as the moon gave them more illumination in their camp out.

"I guess it's only fair that I give my share of the story, huh?" the Minish clutched his plush cucco once more.

"Yes please." Link said, putting an arm around Vaati's shoulders.

"Please do." Dark added, also putting his arm around Vaati's shoulders.

"Alright…"

And Vaati did narrate his story…

***

"Aww, I think it's a baby boy!"

"Look, he's got your nose, honey!"

There, sitting on the bed was a Minish couple. They were holding a baby wrapped in the scraps of soft cloth that Hylians throw away after cutting it into something to be used for clothing and such.

"Oh look, he's opening his eyes!" said the mother, smiling.

"Ruby… they're a beautiful shade of ruby." said the father, adoring his little boy's smiling eyes.

"Gooooo…" the little Minish baby tried to grasp his father's nose.

"Aww…" was what the couple could only say. They decided to assume their roles as soon as possible; the father as the breadwinner of the family and the mother as the light to guide her little baby boy as he grows up. The days passed by…

The mother put her baby in the cradle, gently singing her lullabies to him. There was a crib mobile that showed different animals which befriended them, not to mention the plants that they use for their everyday lives. There were objects that resembled a little bluebird, a dog, a flower, and a four leaf clover.

"Ili ili tulog anay  
Wala diri i mong nanay  
Kadto tienda bakal papay  
Ili ili tulog anay…"

After singing her lullaby to him, the little Minish soon fell asleep peacefully with a smile on his face.

It was then that the father returned from his job and brought home a little present for his little boy. It was a plush cucco. He put the plush toy beside his son and almost immediately, the little baby hugged it in his sleep.

The couple smiled at this.

The father chuckled. "After all, he needs something to hug in his sleep."

***

"Waitwaitwait…" Dark interrupted. "A little plush cucco?"

"Y-Yes…"

"I… I see…" Link said, realizing that there might be more to Vaati's fondness in certain things.

_'After all, he needs something to hug in his sleep.'_ It ringed once more in Vaati's mind. He remembered that the hero once said something similar to his father's line.

"Please continue." Dark said with a straight face.

***

The little baby Vaati grew up and soon was old enough to be taken to work with his father, not that the little boy was going to work just yet. His father just wanted him to come along to the workshop so that he won't miss him so much. He was only six years old back then. He wore something that every Minish wore, except that it's indigo to suit his tastes.

"Daddy, daddy, where are we going?"

"To work, Vaati."

"Why?"

"Because we have to work to live."

"Why?"

"Because working hard for what you live for makes you happy."

"Why?"

"Because…"

After a long walk, they arrived at a little workshop in a secluded part in the Minish Woods. It was considerably far from where they lived, the Minish Village. Upon arriving at its entrance, they went inside of it.

"Daddy, what is this place?" Vaati said, his eyes flitting at everything in sight.

"It's a magic workshop, Vaati."

They looked around. It indeed was evident that it was a magic workshop. There were potions aligned in several shelves covered by glass and to the other shelves were thick books. You would expect these books to be covered in dust, but they're all perfectly clean. It seems that the owner always read these books.

"And how is my young apprentice today?"

Both of them turned to the direction of the voice.

"Very fine, Master." His father smiled.

Vaati hid behind his father, nervous of whoever it may be. He saw before him an elderly sage in green robes, his hair turning almost blackish gray. He had thick eyebrows and had eyes which were very piercing. The young boy was very afraid until he saw what the elder was holding…

… a cane. With a bird-shaped décor on its upper tip to top it all off.

He rushed over to the elder, trying to get a good glimpse of the decoration on the cane. He jumped up and down just to look at it, for he was very short; even the cane was taller than him!

"And who might this little kid be?" the elder said, quite curious.

"That would be my son, Master."

"So he's the little rascal that you were always talking about…"

The elder looked at the young boy and smiled. He lowered the little bird décor to let Vaati grasp it. As Vaati grasped it, he petted it as if it were a true bird.

'If only there were birds as small as these…' Vaati thought.

"Well, Master? Shall we begin?" the father said.

"Immediately."

"You stay here and be a good boy, okay, Vaati?"

"Yes, Daddy."

The two men went inside the secluded room, its doorway covered by only a big strip of cloth.

_'Now what do I do…?'_

Not knowing what to do until he waits for his father, he looked around the library. He decided to find some storybooks that his mother always read to him before going to bed.

_'Aww, why do these books have to be so big?'_ thought the little Minish.

He looked at the potions that lay in the shelves across from where he stood. This time, he got curious and went closer.

The potions were in vials of different sizes; and they were multi-colored at that. There were pink potions, lavender potions, green, blue, red, violet… black. So many attractive sparkly colors that were before the little Minish.

"So many… what are these?" Vaati thought aloud. His eyes shifted as he opened the case. When he found a particular heart-shaped bottle with a transparent pink liquid in it, his eyes sparkled.

"Now I know what to give Mommy back at home!"

He took the potion and hid it in his pocket. He decided to shuffle the cabinet a bit more…

"I wonder what this tastes like…"

He grabbed a bottle with a long neck. It had dark red liquid in it. He then opened the bottle and drank directly through its mouth. He lay down on the floor as he continued drinking the potion; but as he drank it, he felt funny. He also felt like blushing as he drank all of its contents!

Minutes passed…

"And that, my boy, is how I was such a ladies' man back then!" the voice of the elder could be heard.

"B-But… why did you stay single?" the young man replied.

"… Just because you have a beautiful wife and a charming kid does NOT give you the authority to speak like that."

After that, a loud bonk could be heard.

"OW!"

The two men went out of the room, the younger of the men rubbing his noggin, and were shocked at what the library looked like…

…it was a complete and total mess. There were potions on the floor with some bottles broken. Some bottles were merely emptied out with some traces that show they had been drunk by someone.

"D-Daddy… _-hic!-_" the little boy called out, lying on the floor, holding a long-necked bottle in his tiny hand.

"Vaati! What happened here? Are you alright?" The father rushed to his son as the elder calmly followed.

"You _–hic!-_ should try this _–hic!-_ Daddy… it tastes _-hic!-_ goooooood…" Vaati blushed as his father picked him up.

"Oh dear goddesses, no…" the sage gave himself a face palm.

"It's… liquor? Isn't this what we always drink after long hours of work, Master?"

The sage didn't answer back; rather, he gave a signal for his disciple to go home. "Your work is done today. Go."

***

"What the heck. Seriously." Link chuckled at Vaati's story.

"And I thought that you were the only 'pure' guy here, untainted by liquor!" Dark laughed out loud.

"B-But… it was an accident…" Vaati defended himself.

"We know, just like what happened to us before." the shadow said. "So your dad was also a sorcerer's apprentice then."

"Yes…" Vaati replied, clutching his stuffed cucco tightly once again while looking at the bonfire.

"Please do continue, Vaati." Link said.

***

"Run, anty! Wheee!"

"Yes, Master!"

The lavender-haired Minish sat on his father's shoulders as his dad pretended to be a giant ant giving him a ride around the village. They all laughed and screamed in sheer fun as the father gives his son a quick tour around the village.

"Ah! Ah! Anty needs to go to the pee-pee room now!" the father laughed.

"Anty needs to pee?" Vaati asked back.

The father gently took Vaati off his shoulders. "Yes. Now wait here until Anty gets back, okay?"

Vaati nodded. He left Vaati near a small pond, which was actually a small puddle of water in Hylian/human size, and tried to find a place to relieve himself. As the little boy waited, he saw a group of Minish kids playing nearby. He was a bit bored and they weren't so far away from where he should have stayed, so he decided to join in.

"Hey, may I join?" Vaati asked the little kids playing a classic game of tag.

"Ummm… sure!" said one of them.

"Uhhh… I think I hear my mom calling me." said another.

"Me too!"

"And me!"

This went on until only the Minish who welcomed him in the game was left.

"Umm… I guess it's break time, huh?" Vaati asked innocently.

"Y-Yeah… um… if you'll excuse me… I think my… uncle's calling me."

The last Minish child went away. There, Vaati was left all alone so he decided to go back where his father left him. He stared into the water as tadpoles swam about. They were just as big as the normal sharks from the human world. As he found peace just sitting by the bank…

"HAAAHAHA! Look at that weird kid!"

Vaati turned around and saw some people passing by.

"Huh? Where? Where?" Vaati looked around inquisitively, hoping to find this "weird kid" that they spoke of.

"What's with the red eyes? They look as if something irritated them with some leaf juice!" said another kid passing by.

"Purple hair? Get real!" laughed another.

They all looked at the little lavender boy as they passed by. They all seemed so big to him, child and adult alike. He was a bit clueless at first, but he soon got the feeling that it was HIM who they were talking about.

"FREEEEAAAAAK!"

"AM NOT!" Vaati defended himself, tears forming on his eyes.

"EWW, now he's talking to us!"

"'He'? What do you mean 'he'?"

"IT'S speaking! Wow! I thought IT didn't know how to speak at all!"

"Nnnhh… you… you take back what you just said!" Vaati cried. Of course, no one would expect this indifferent group of Minish to just apologize. They continued to ridicule him until Vaati was forced to run away as he sobbed.

***

"Dang it! And I thought the Minish were cute!" Dark complained. "What horrid little critters!"

"Well, I'm Minish…" Vaati smiled a bit, looking at his dark-haired friend.

"…and you're cute." Dark said, chuckling.

"Whattheheckareyoutwo…" Link inquired, looking at his friends questionably.

The two just laughed at Link's reaction. Vaati just can't get enough of Link's "wtf" expression that he laughed so hard; Dark was so humored that he ate popcorn while laughing.

"AAA-nywaaaaays…" Link said, changing the topic. "What happened next?"

"Well…" Vaati continued his story.

***

"Vaati! There you are!"

It was already dusk by then. There was the young father standing by a pile of leaves. The little boy apparently hid under the pile of leaves, his eyes puffed from crying so much.

"W-What happened? Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?" the father crouched down to pick up his son, checking for any bruises.

"A-Are they gone…?" Vaati whimpered.

"'They'? Did anyone hurt you, my son?"

"N-No… but…" Vaati could not continue for he cried once more. He buried his face in his father's chest as he continued to cry profusely.

"There, there…" the father said gently, carrying him in his arms as they went home.

They finally arrived back home. As the door opened, a tempting aroma wafted in the air. The young man raised his nose as he closed his eyes and followed the delectable scent. It led him to the kitchen. There in the kitchen, his wife was humming herself a melody as she cooked something in the cauldron.

"Hey there, hun!" said the loving husband to his wife, kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh, sugar! Did you and Vaati have fu- **OH, GOODNESS! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?**" The lady practically snatched their son away from her husband.

"Vaati, Vaati… why are you crying?"

Vaati refused to answer; instead, he kept on crying. His cries sounded so innocent…

"Aww… there, there… Mommy and Daddy are here for our little Vaati!" the mother lifted her son holding him under his arms. "Yes, they are! Yes, they are!" the mother started to talk babyish to her son and rubbed her nose against his. This tickled Vaati and it immediately made him giggle.

"Whoo!" the mother playfully raised her son in the air and caught him. Each time she caught him, she rubbed her nose against her son's and made faces. Vaati kept on giggling and almost forgot what happened earlier.

"Hun…" the husband tapped her shoulder. He then pointed to the cauldron. It was emitting questionable scents by this time.

"Oh no!" She hurriedly turned the cauldron off and opened the lid.

***

"So we all know where Vaati got his 'cooking skills'…" chuckled Dark.

"N-No! My mom was the best cook in the world! She only forgot to turn it off at the right time, that's all…" Vaati defended his mother.

"Yeah… remember, Dark? He DID say that there was a 'tempting aroma' and a 'delectable scent'." Link covered for his friend.

"Yeah, I know." Dark answered, still smirking.

"Anyway…" Vaati once more continued.

***

It was another evening and Vaati and his mum were left alone in the house.

"M-Mommy… am I really weird?" asked the innocent Vaati to his mother who happened to be crocheting his clothes.

"What? Vaati! Just where did you hear that? Who told you that?" the mother seemed to be stirred up and was in a defensive mood.

"Uh… s-some people did…"

"Don't believe them! They're just jealous of you."

"B-But… what if it's true… what if I was a freak…?"

Vaati started to cry once more and cried on his mother. She immediately put down her crocheting materials and embraced Vaati warmly. She could not believe that someone would have the guts to make fun of their child.

"If anyone else hurts you or says anything bad to you, tell Mommy… okay? I'll take care of them."

"M-Mommy…" Vaati continued snuggling onto his mother.

The door to their house opened. In came a drenched father, apparently weary from the rain.

"Dang rain… those big drops just keep on coming!" the father complained as he proceeded to sit on his favorite chair.

"Wait here, okay, Vaati?" his mother left him for a while and got some towels upstairs to dry her husband.

"So, Vaati. How are you today?" the father asked his son.

"I'm fine, Daddy!" smiled the little Minish.

It was evident that the boy cried, but he didn't bother to ask why. It was better that Vaati already felt better and was not crying anymore. After all, it seemed that the mother had already talked with him to make him feel a lot better.

"Here you go." she came back holding a pile of towels.

"No, that's okay! I'll just be taking a bath."

"You want me to scrub your back?"

"Hmmm… nah, it's fi-oooohhhhh…" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence when she massaged his shoulders.

"Are you sure about that…?" she teased him.

"Vaati, be a good boy and stay here, okay? Don't open up for anyone. If anyone is down here knocking on our door, call us from upstairs, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy."

***

"So, that's your dad. He's not as scary as we thought now, huh?" Dark interrupted once again.

"Yes… I lied when I said that he was scary… he was the best father in the world, and no one could ever replace him… not even Master Ezlo."

"That's saying a lot, talking about the guy who raised you up from childhood as a little sorcerer."

"But Ezlo… he's a b- sometimes, you know?" Dark said.

"All of Kenny's killers?" Link clarified.

"Chyeah." Dark laughed once more.

"So what happens next?" asked the two almost simultaneously.

***

"Mommy! Daddy! Someone's knocking on the door!" squeaked Vaati as he went upstairs to see his parents in the bathroom.

"Ooooooooh yessssss…" he could hear his father groaning from where he stood.

He then opened the door which was unlocked and called out his parents again. He saw that his mother was scrubbing his father's back with a smooth leaf, relaxing to the touch. The father was in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles.

"Ah, Vaati!" said his mother.

"Mommy, someone's knocking on the door!" repeated Vaati.

"Oh, okay." she then turned to her hubby. "Please wait for a while, okay, honey?"

The father just nodded and let his wife go downstairs. As she left, he then looked at his son.

"That's a good boy." he smiled. "Come here to daddy."

"Daddy!" giggled Vaati. "You look like me when mommy gives me a bath!"

The father chuckled and looked at himself. "I guess do."

Vaati then went closer to his father. Something seems to have caught his eye as he looked at his father's back and began to trace something on it with his finger.

"Daddy, what's this?" he said as he poked his father's back even more. He seemed to like touching a certain scar etched on his father's back.

His father chuckled. "Vaati… your daddy has been out to the human world."

"What? Whoa…!" the young Minish squeaked in delight. "Daddy, how was it like to be in the human world? What does it feel like?"

"Well… I haven't been out much…"

"And daddy, what's this?"

"That is the proof that your dad's a brave person." he chuckled as he got Vaati and held him above his head. He then let Vaati on the floor just beside the tub. "You see, a cucco once almost got me… so I fought my way out of his monsterly grip!"

"Woooooooow, cool!" Vaati went behind him to poke his back even more. "My dad's a hero!"

"Right you are!" the older Minish blew bubbles from his tub so that the younger may play with them.

"Yaaay!"

***

"Well…" Vaati hugged his cucco tightly once more. "You see… it went on like that… everything was normal, some people kept on making fun of me…"

He paused and let out a sigh. It seemed as though he did not want to continue… the part of his story that the two Links were waiting for. Just how did he become a sorcerer's apprentice just like that? According to Ezlo, he took in Vaati when he was only a little boy. But how could that be when he was living the life of a seemingly average family?

"Please continue, Vaati…" urged Link.

"Fire… fire…" whimpered the sorcerer's apprentice.

"Huh?" Dark wondered at Vaati's sudden statement.

"Fire… Mom… Dad…" he cried and buried his face in the cucco. "D-Dad… M-M-Mom…"

"Vaati?" Link gently rubbed the boy's back. He looked up at the hero…

"Stop it, Link! You remind me so much of him!" he cried, trying to shrug off Link's gentle pats.

They remained silent and were forced to only listen to Vaati's sorrowful crying.

"Link… come to think of it…" Dark came to a realization. "He may have liked you better than me because you were some sort of a father figure to him."

"W-What…?"

"Think about it… your gentle playful attitude, your smiles, and even Robin…" Dark explained.

"I… I had no idea…" Link bowed down his head, knowing that Vaati shared a very special bond with him. Knowing that Vaati sees him as some kind of a replica of his father.

"D-Dad… Mom… please come back… I know that you're there somewhere…" Vaati suddenly raised his head and looked at the thick cluster of trees surrounding them. "That's right! They may be there somewhere…"

"Vaati, no." Link said firmly.

"What do you mean? I have to go look for them!" the Minish boy stood up, looking determined.

"Vaati." Dark confronted him.

"Let me pass. I have to find them…"

Now, Vaati looks like he could hurt anyone who would dare get in his way. It was as if his shadow gained a little control over his emotions. He glared at his two friends standing in front of him. But even so, the two restrained him from going in the forest even further. They each grabbed his arms and forced him to sit on their log. The trio sat on the log, with the two Hylians still holding the Minish's struggling arms.

"What are you two doing?! Let GO!"

"Vaati, I thought we made it clear that we both share the responsibility to take care of you now." Link stared sharply into Vaati's eyes.

"B-But… they…"

"Just what went on, Vaati?" Dark asked, once again putting his piercing eyes to work, but to no avail. Vaati wouldn't listen to him. "Link…" the shadow said, almost desperate.

"Vaati." Link said, firmly grasping Vaati's wrist. He looked directly into Vaati's worried eyes with his own, gentle and assuring. "Tell me, Vaati… just what's wrong?"

"I…" Vaati tried to recollect his mind once again after he just nearly lost it. As much as it pained him to recollect those painful memories, he felt the need to share it with people that he could trust the most… "Okay…"

Vaati tried to resume his story.

***

It was a day like any other… the family members were doing their own businesses during that rest day, his father taking a day off from work, his mother taking care of the house, and him playing with his own toys in his playroom upstairs.

"So, how're the magic practices coming along?" she asked her hubby.

"Just fine." He replied while stretching on his favorite chair.

"Good to hear. "

"I must say that Master and Vaati seem to be getting along very well. Vaati was much too much curious sometimes and unbelievably, Master doesn't get much irritated at all."

"Wow, that's good to hear!"

"After all, we made him Vaati's godfather, right?"

"That's right…"

The two began thinking how lucky they were to have a stable life, a very nice and obedient boy, and a good relationship with everyone they know. She went on to her resting husband and massaged his shoulders.

"Ooooh… that's the spot, yeah…" the father groaned, smiling. She merely giggled at this.

It was then that they thought that something made the earth rumble. It shook for a while but almost immediately stopped.

"Must be a slight earthquake." The father said. The couple just shrugged it off and continued to have some more sweet moments.

On the other hand, Vaati from upstairs saw the people moving away, scrambling from their houses. They seemed to be filled with terror as they evacuated with their valuables. He thought immediately that he should warn his parents.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" just as he was about to run out of his room, he found that the first floor was ablaze! Everything in his lovely house was burning… and he swore that he could hear his parents screaming from somewhere!

"No… Vaati!" he heard his mom.

"We couldn't just leave him in there!" he heard his dad shouting.

"There is no time. You have to go!" said someone else. Must be a friend.

"VAATI!" he heard both his parents scream his name.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" he cried. He was so terrified… how could this be? How could a normal day turn out like this? What should he do? He looked around and tried to find an exit….

Alas, there were no other escape routes. All he could do was cower in fear as the flames engulfed the whole house, cornering him… but wait. What is this?

_'Call me crazy… but I'm doing this! Mommy, Daddy… wait for me!'_

He looked out the window and the height he had to jump from, but it just may be crazy enough to work. He held his breath, closed his eyes, and jumped outside the window. He landed with a loud thud on the ground, but he finally made it. He saw that almost all of what's left of his village was a burnt disaster.

"Mommy, Daddy…? Mommy… Daddy… where are you?!" cried out the poor boy. By then, he was already terrified of what would have become of his parents and what would become of him. He staggered around the village to see if anyone else is there, and if he may be lucky enough to find help.

"Mommy… Daddy!" he cried out with a louder voice. He only heard his voice echo through the lonely, abandoned village. He looked up in the sky and saw some humans walk away.

"Well, that was it… I guess we burnt all the trash." he heard them say. "Let's go. It's about to rain."

"T-Trash…? Dumped in our village… and burnt it…? H-How…?" Vaati sobbed as he felt all alone… "Rain… rain?!" Vaati squeaked. _'Oh, no! Where do I go…?'_

He scurried off stripping a leaf to protect him from the incoming rain. Seeing that there was no one else in the village but him, he thought of only one place to go… it was kind of far, but it was better than having to be alone in a deserted village.

He heard a loud growl from the heavens.

"No please… don't rain yet!" Vaati pleaded, although he knew that it would do him no good.

The drops fell little by little, then it began to rain really hard. It made it a lot harder for him to proceed. The lightning taunted him, flashing in the heavens and frightening him.

"Nooooo!" Vaati squeaked in desperation. "Mommy! Daddy!"

He repetitively called for his parents whom he believed were still alive, separated from him. Although it was far too hard to proceed due to the titanic drops of rain, he persevered to go to that shelter he had thought of.

_'Maybe… maybe they stayed in there… yes, that's right! He should've helped Daddy! He should have…'_

He was getting desperate when he saw a light through the rain. Without hesitating, he ran for the light. He found out that he finally arrived at the place he considered a haven. He quickly banged on the door, hoping that someone is still inside.

It took him a while, waiting outside and shivering in the cold. Then, he heard the sweetest sound he could ever hear in that moment…

The sound of the door creaking.

"Why, Vaati… what are you doing out here in the rain?" the voice said.

The Minish sage took the poor, drenched boy in and made him feel at home.

A couple more minutes later, Vaati finally found comfort in the old sage's workshop. He was wrapped in warm towels and was dry already. He sat by the fireplace, glaring into the embers… it only reminded him of the tragedy that happened not long ago…

"Here, Vaati… you should have this." the sorcerer gave him a cup of warm tea.

"Thank you…" he said as he sipped from it. He looked around the room; it seemed different from the other rooms of the workshop because it felt almost like home… no books or potions or any complicated stuff in it. Just a hearty room that looks like their living room.

"M-Mister… did you see my parents…?"

"…" the elder felt sorry for the boy. He looked sadly at him and said, "I didn't. But I heard that they went somewhere far from here to evacuate from the fire."

"F-Far…?" Vaati felt something sinking inside him. "N-No… th-they'll be back… right…?"

The old sage was at loss for words. "Vaati…" he brought out a stuffed cucco.

"Ah! Where did you get that? He was missing for a few days!" Vaati practically snatched it from the elder. The elder didn't mind; all he felt was pity for the poor boy.

"Your father brought it here a week ago so that he wouldn't miss you while working. It was practically his… lucky charm."

"D-Dad…Daddy… h-he… I…" Vaati started to cry again as he held the cucco in his arms tightly.

"Vaati. I… I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help…" the sage regrettably said.

"You did a lot, mister… it's just that... I…" Vaati sniffed and could not continue. He just kept his face buried in the plush toy. "I… I didn't even get a chance to give Mommy a present!" Vaati took out the heart-shaped vial and showed it to the green-clad magician.

"So that's where it went!" he took the potion from the boy.

"I… I'm sorry… I just thought that it could be a good present to take home, so…" Vaati buried his face in the cucco again, in guilt.

"No… never you mind it, Vaati." he calmly said.

After a few minutes of crying, Vaati finally calmed down. He looked at the senior Minish magician with determination in his eyes.

"Mister… will you be my master?" he asked.

"H-Huh?"

"I'll be a good boy! I promise! I… I'll follow my father's footsteps! I swear to be a good son… I… I have to make them both proud! I… I… Mom… I'll prove them that I'm no freak… I will! I will be the best apprentice ever to come after my dad!" Vaati spontaneously said with full determination.

The sage stood quiet for a second then smiled at the little boy. "Of course."

He then pointed to the chart which was hanging from the ceiling. It looked like a poster made by a child.

"Vaati, do you see this picture? Tell me, what do you see?"

"Birds… there is a green eagle hovering above that little robin… as if guiding him for food and shelter. The green eagle doesn't seem to be mean… in fact, I think it's smiling!" Vaati remarked.

"A beautiful interpretation, Vaati. Now take a look at this." He pointed to the lower right corner.

"I… it's… it's…"

The older of the two nodded. "That's right. It's your father's signature."

"H-He drew this…?"

"Yes. When he was a little boy like you. He studied under me since childhood, you see. Would you want me to tell its story?"

"Yes please… Master."

"Call me Master Ezlo." Ezlo smiled, beginning to like his new disciple already. "The eagle flies above the robin as it searches food with its sharp eyes. The eagle teaches the little robin how to fly high so that he may be able to lift himself up… and that someday, he may be as great as the eagle…"

"The eagle… is it you, Master Ezlo?"

"Yes…"

"…And the robin… it's my daddy…"

"Yes, my dear boy."

Vaati looked more determined than ever. "Master, teach this little robin's son how to fly! Teach this little robin's son how to take care of himself!"

"All in due time, my little robin's descendant. All in due time."

***

"Robin… I never knew how much that word meant to you…" Link said, realizing the true significance of his simple present to Vaati.

"So that was it… that's what happened…" Dark concluded, feeling tears run down his cheeks.

"D-Dark, are you crying?" Link said, covering his face. The two Links both cried hearing Vaati's story.

"My parents… I know that they're alive! I just know it!" Vaati hugged his plush cucco while looking at the flames… it was the same feeling he had, eight years ago, on that fateful day.

"Apparently, my master oftentimes expected too much from me, being the son of his only and finest apprentice… but I was never as great as him… nowhere as great as he was… even after all those magic practices… even after all of those… people still made fun of me…"

***

"Master… what just went wrong?"

There were the two Minish, practicing their magic spells in the library… which was full of soot and dirt! Everything was in disarray…

"Vaati… that's NOT how you do it." he gave Vaati a bonk on the noggin.

"OW! Sorry…"

"Now help me clean this up!" Ezlo yelled at him, using his magic to put everything in place. "No, wait… do you mind going out and get some cloth for my next project first?"

"W-What project, Master?"

"A wishing cap."

Vaati's eyes gleamed as he heard those words. _'A wishing cap… maybe… maybe I could wish my parents back when he's done!'_

"GO!" shouted Ezlo threateningly. This made Vaati squeak and immediately ran out of the door.

He searched everywhere in the village… there were a lot of gigantic bottles, cans, leaves… but no suitable cloth for a cap.

It was then that he finally decided to rest that he met impending pranksters. They approached and cornered the poor little boy.

"HEY YOU!" one of the four said, collaring the boy. "YOU SET UP THE FORMER MINISH VILLAGE IN FIRE, DIDN'T YOU?!"

"N-No… I would never… GAH!" he curled up into a ball after getting punched in the stomach. He could only groan and call his parents once more.

"Your parents… have abandoned you, freak. After all, who wants a freak for a child when they know that they are perfectly normal?" insulted another.

Vaati wanted to cry in pain; both in external and internal feelings. How dare they talk about his family that way… when they have done nothing wrong! Everyone seems to enjoy tormenting him. He had that point confirmed when he felt that someone shoved him in a nearby lying bottle and sealed it with a cork.

"No! Master! HEEELP!" he could only hear his voice echo inside. The others were watching him look for a way out. After a while, they finally got tired of watching him that they eventually left him.

He felt despair, knowing that there was no way out. He stayed in the base of the bottle, crying once more for his parents and his master. While all alone, he reflected on himself; how weak he was, how dependent he was on his parents, everything. He couldn't find the right cloth for his master, let alone save himself.

It seemed like an eternity he stayed in that bottle, when someone suddenly picked it up!

"This should be perfect for Grandpa!" said a little youngster. He was shaking the bottle so much that the poor Minish couldn't make out the face. All he knew was… he felt dizzy.

After a while of jumpy trips in the bottle, the Minish made out what appears to be the little boy's home. There was a living room, a staircase… and some other rooms that your average house held. The little boy proceeded to one particular room in the house with the bottle in hand.

"Grandpa, Grandpa! Lookie what I got!"

"That's good, my boy. Did you wash it yet? The grease I'm going to put in should not be contaminated with any dirt."

"Hold on, Grandpa!"

Vaati feared what he just heard. The little boy rushed to the kitchen sink and opened the bottle. Scared, the little Minish tried to climb up the bottle; but he can't. It was far too slippery. Water began filling up the bottle, and he felt like he was about to drown.

"No… stop i-glurg!-" Vaati's words were cut as the little boy continued to clean the bottle.

"Are you quite done there?" the grandfather called out to his grandson.

"In a minute, Grandpa!" he said, continuing to scrub the bottle.

Vaati felt so terrified that he took note of what the boy and his grandfather looked like… he couldn't forget it! Not after that horrible experience. The grandfather was white-haired, having a sturdy frame even in his old age. The boy was wearing a red outfit with hints of green. His skin was fair and his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue; complementing his soft, wavy blonde hair.

"All done!"

Luckily, Vaati was washed away and managed to grab onto the long sleeves of the boy. He got a little glass shard and cut some cloth from the sleeve.

"Now can I go play?" asked the blonde boy innocently to his grandfather.

"Sure. Just don't go too far!"

Vaati didn't know where he's going with this, all he knew was he could only wish for the best. The boy went to the town's playground, sitting on one of the swings. There was such a light atmosphere that Vaati convinced himself that he liked the said place.

"She's not here yet? Bummer!" complained the human. "Ah well, better go back to the woods… maybe I can find something real neat there!"

The boy immediately rushed off for the woods with much excitement. However…

"Hey, kid. Gimme your lunch money." a teenager threatened the blonde as he collared him.

"But I don't have anything!"

"Really now…?" the teenager kicked the blonde on his stomach, then his shins. He laughed as the little boy squirmed and fell to the ground.

Vaati was left amazed. Could this be the answer that he's been looking for? For people to respect him? _'That was… cool…'_

When they arrived in the woods, the little blonde boy pretended a sword fight with his shadow. He picked up a fallen branch and started "fighting".

"I'll show that dork! I'll be stronger than he is one day! I'LL SHOW EVERYOOOONE!" he swung his "sword" even faster and stronger. He was getting wild.

"I… can't… take this anymore…" said the Minish to himself, feeling so dizzy. He saw the place around him going in circles, never seeming to end. In the flight, he thought he saw a glimpse of his master's house.

"M-Master…" he decided to jump off the blonde's arm, hoping to flee from dizziness.

Meanwhile…

"What could that boy be taking so long? Hmph. I guess he's off playing and avoiding house cleaning." the sage complained, having waited for Vaati. He went outside to take a peek for his missing disciple (and for some lovely ladies).

He was about to go back inside, back to the magic room where he and his former apprentice used to learn complicated spells together when…

**"MAAAAASTEEEEEEER!"**

Ezlo looked up in the sky, looking where it came fro-

**"GUWAAARK!"** Ezlo moaned as the little Minish dropped on him. They both fell flat on the floor, the apprentice lying face-down on his master's back.

"What is the meaning of this…?!" Ezlo moaned as he trailed off to a scolding tone.

"Ahhh… well… ummm…"

"Just get in."

The two Minish went back in. As the door slammed, some neighbors could swear that they heard a single loud "WHACK!" and a child's faint groan.

***

"BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Way to keep the blonde boy anonymous, Vaati." Dark laughed so hard.

"Haha… yeah." Vaati smiled.

"Urk! Well, whoever that blonde little boy must be… he must be a very good and strong boy now, right? A-And he's wearing red!" Link suggested.

"Yeah right. Stop pretending, Link. You heard his story. While he was narrating, I swear I saw you fidget a few times in your seat. And changing your taste for colors don't change anything. People do that all the time through the years." Dark smirked yet again.

Silence ensued. Sure there were a lot of funny little misadventures Vaati experienced with some of these unconsciously shared by the hero, but they could only think of the mere fact that the Hylian-Minish had a lot more to him that no one ever knew.

"Vaati… I had… I had no idea…" Link shook his head. He sadly looked at his Minish friend.

"So that's why… when I saw that my master's project was finally complete after almost four years… I took it. I didn't care, but I knew what I felt at the time… lust for power."

"B-But that's your shadow, right?"

"It took over me and my whole being. I had to get revenge for myself and my parents… if it wasn't for the humans, we would still have been together…"

Vaati's ears flopped down, realizing his past mistakes in life. He knew that his life was a complete and total mess… and then images of his newly-made friendship flashed on his mind. It seemed that his life wasn't really screwed up after all.

_'Mommy… I hope you're proud that I proved that I could belong and that I'm fine… Daddy… I hope you're proud of me following your footsteps…'_ he closed his eyes for a while and reflected on his parents… and how much he missed them.

"I… I never expected for Master Ezlo to forgive me so easily… and then, he did that favour for me… he cast a spell on all of Hyrule." he looked upwards at the clear, starry heavens. He could swear that he saw bats pass by… but there was this lone little robin, flying with a twig in its beak. Flying on its way home, to help its family and itself have a brighter future.

* * *

This is one of the longest chapters I have ever written so far, forgive me if it's too long. ^^;

However! I hope you had a good read! The lullaby Vaati's mum sang to him is "Ili Ili Tulog Anay", a Visayan folk song (Visayas being one of the three main island divisions in our country). Here is a translation I found since I, myself, don't really know how to speak the dialect itself, but I had been taught the song before:

"Ili ili tulog anay (Sleep for a while.)

Wala diri i mong nanay (Your mother is not here.)

Kadto tienda bakal papay (Went to the market to buy bread.)

Ili ili tulog anay (Sleep for a while.)"

and here is the song sang by a local actress of ours, if you would want to check it out: : / / w w w. yo utu be watch? v=LNSN4p-vbqI&feature=related


	4. Chapter 4: An Unknown Friend

**Chapter 4: An Unknown Friend**

After a long discussion about themselves, the three boys decided to call it a night and settle in their tents. Upon entering, they just knew that they wouldn't be able to fall asleep…

"HAAAhahahaha! New volume!" sinisterly laughed Dark, holding his newly purchased volume of his favorite ghost story book series, "True Hylian Ghost Stories".

"Aww come on, Dark…" said Vaati, already wrapping himself up in blankets. It appears that he is not really built for ghost stories.

"Yeah, Dark. Maybe we can put that off until we come back home." Link said upon seeing Vaati's reaction.

"Yaright… and ruin the atmosphere? This place suits the feeling of the stories most! And guess what… many stories here in this here book seem to be related to the woods…" Dark said, his last words trailing off in a creepy tone.

The youngest of the three hid under the covers of his sleeping and whimpered. The black-haired youth came closer to him with a menacing smile and slowly unraveled the sheets.

"Yes… the stories will be scary… very scary! VERY, VERY SCARY! SILENT HILL SCARYYYYYYY!" Dark said, from a small tone rising up to a bigger, more threatening tone.

"Well, let's hear it, then." Link said bravely while wrapping his arm around Vaati to comfort the poor Minish.

"Alright. Here goes! This is a story of a poor boy who got lost in the woods… and it was because of his naughtiness! His friends tried to warn him but did he listen? NoooOOOOooooooo… of course not. And that's where the story begins."

Dark began narrating the story. "And now, the boy had nowhere to run… if only he listened… now…... there was something in the trees…... WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!"

Vaati snuggled onto Link even more as he showed signs that he was really scared. The atmosphere, the overall feeling, even the character in the story can really penetrate his mind. He could really relate to the story, especially with Dark trying his best to make it all the more scary and relatable.

"And now, that creature in the tree is…" Dark said, looking like a lion about to pounce on his prey, which in this case is, Vaati. "It's…... A FRIGGIN OWL! Yep, a friggin owl in that friggin old tree with all its friggin whoooooooos, kyaha~"

Dark let out a deep sigh before he continued. "But enough about that. There was something rustling in the bushes. And what was it? It… was… a… GIGANTIC SPIDER! But what the heck is this spider so intrigued about…? It looks as if it was crawling onto a… oh, s-. It's… it's…. a ROTTING CORPSE! And it slumped down onto the poor little boy!"

Dark walked like a zombie as he slumped down onto Vaati limply. He purposely made weighed down as much as he could on the little Minish making it hard to move for the poor Minish boy.

"Aaaah! Dark, your butt is CRUSHING me! No… LINK! HELP! Is he… IS HE REALLY DEAD?!"

"No, but he will be." Vaati heard a reply.

"Really now, Link…" Vaati looked up to Link, smiling at the hero's gag.

"What? What are you talking about?" Link said, quite piqued.

"H-Huh? But I thought…" Vaati said, feeling a bit lighter. He saw Dark move slowly away from him. It was a relief having all that weight on him go away.

"Dark?" Link called out.

Now, the shadowy youngster was peering out of the tent, looking to and fro from left to right, then right to left. He looked up and down, and eventually let half of his body out of the tent.

"Dark, what's wrong?" Link asked his shadow, feeling perplexed by its sudden actions. He approached his shadow, but it merely gave him a harsh sign not to come any closer while not giving any eye contact. The shadow stood still as a rock, not moving an inch as he scanned the grounds outside of their tent.

It seemed like forever that they were holding their breaths…

"GUWAAAAH!" Dark screamed as a force snatched him roughly from outside!

"DAAAAAARK!" Link shouted, following his friend out. Before he went outside, he caught a glimpse of Vaati…

… the Minish was unconscious, slumped onto his sleeping bag face down.

_'Vaati…?' _Link then shook his head. _'Sorry, Vaati… but you'll have to wait a while. Dark, I'm coming to save you!'_

The hero dashed outside of their tent hoping to save his shadow from any danger it might have gotten itself into. He looked at his surroundings, lit by the shining moon. But even the moon can't aid him find his shadow. He was nowhere to be found.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAARK!" he called out once again, and once again there was no response.

"Link…" he heard someone say. He turned his head to see who it was…

"V-Vaati? Hey, you okay?" Link rushed to Vaati standing by the spring's bank.

"Of course."

"But I thought that you were unconscious…"

"I was just toying with you, sweetie."

_'Sweetie?' _Link looked at Vaati once more. "Vaati… did you just call me 'sweetie'?"

"Of course…" Vaati approached Link… with a gingerly strut.

"V-Vaati… what's gotten into you? WAKE UP! You must be sleepwalking!"

"Am not…" the Hylian-Minish came closer and rested his head on the hero's shoulder. "Link… I'm cold and tired… and frightened…"

_'THAT explains it…'_ "… Come on, Vaati." Link accompanied Vaati going to the tent. As they approached the entrance, Vaati complained even more about the cold after the wind chill just passed by them.

It was not long after that they heard noises. Noises… dripping, dropping noises…

"No…" Link said, looking into the dark woods from where they stood. "Stay here, Vaati."

Link got a frilly dark umbrella to protect himself from the rain from Dark's bag near the entrance of the tent, so he needn't actually go inside the tent.

"Don't you dare…" Vaati seemed to be in a bad mood, scowling at Link and staring directly into his eyes. "Stop right where you are and help me get warm here…"

Vaati kept on shivering and knelt down on the entrance of the tent.

"I've got extra pajamas to cover your lower body if you want. It's in my rucksack… for now, I've gotta find Dark!"

"CEASE WITH THE NOISE!" shouted Vaati. "I have heard enough…"

The Hylian-Minish stood up and stared directly into the hero's eyes once more. The once-tame ruby eyes have been replaced by fierce, crimson eyes. Though he maintained his poise, he stomped angrily towards the hero and held his collar tight.

"Vaati! What are you…?" Link tried to struggle free from the harsh grasp of his friend. "VAATI!"

"You're just going to leave me here?" he replied angrily.

"Vaati… stop being so childish! I mean, come on! Dark needs my help, and I'm sure you can take care of yourself!" Link replied angrily as he grabbed the Minish's shoulders, letting go of the umbrella.

"Link… you naughty little brat…" Vaati smirked, trying to shrug off the tightness of Link's grasp. "You win… go ahead… just leave me here… and find Dark…"

Link stared blankly into the Minish's eyes. _'I don't know what's gotten into you… but Vaati would never say things like that.'_

He dragged Vaati into the tent and practically pushed him forcefully inside. He then turned away and grabbed the umbrella, blown near the tent's entrance by the wind.

"…Find Dark… if you can…" Vaati giggled, trying to look back at Link after being thrown to the ground.

"I will." Link seriously said with an unusually deep tone, not turning back.

The hero set out to look for his lost friend hurriedly. He didn't care if it was too dark in the woods; he brought out his flashlight that let out a lone gleam in the dark, distorted by the falling tears of the heavens.

"DAAAARK! DARK, COME ON, ANSWER MEEEEE!" shouted Link with all his might.

He heard a response…

"KRRRGOOOOM!" a response from the raging heavens.

"DAAAAARK!" Link cried out once more. He was starting to become desperate.

He went further into the woods, getting more desperate as he went deeper. He turned his flashlight in any direction possible just to see either hair or hide of his shadow. But alas, he couldn't find him.

"Ahahahahaha… have you found him yet?"

Link turned his head. The voice was familiar.

"Didn't I tell you to stay put?" Link said blankly, focusing the flashlight on the Minish's face.

"But… it looked… delightful… to see you search about for your companion pointlessly." the lavender-haired youth replied, squinting his eyes with the terrible brightness of the light directed towards his face.

"Vaati… what have you done?!"

"Oh? You're accusing me… of doing something to your friend?"

Link advanced to the Minish and looked at him fiercely. "Tell me. What have you DONE WITH DARK?!"

"Hmph." Vaati simply gave a smile. He tossed his soaked hair and gingerly strutted away.

Link was left alone deep in the woods, left in inexplicable disbelief. He knew it was pointless to search for Dark, but he also knew that he shouldn't give up so easily. His heart wanted to look for his friend, but his mind told him to back away and retreat for the meantime. His body, on the other hand, told him to find shelter in the tent.

As soon as the hero arrived in the tent, he found the ex-sorcerer just sitting there, as if waiting for his return all these times. It was apparent that he changed his clothes and decided to take another bath in the spring just to clean the rainwater from his body. He smiled at the hero as he caressed something lumpy from under the sheets.

"W-What…? Vaati…" Link's mouth was left agape.

"Shhhh…" Vaati gave out another smile. It was seemingly sweet, but not as angelic as his smile before. There was something… different about it somehow.

"Nnnhhh…" the lump from under the sheets moved. "W-What…?"

"Are you alright… Dark?" Vaati asked, ruffling the dark youth's hair.

"I… I think so…" Dark said, a bit confused. He looked from the smiling sorcerer to the angry hero. "What's gotten into you? I mean, the both of you?"

"You… you b-!" Link shouted angrily. "You had me worried sick about you! And you…" he turned to Vaati.

Vaati merely smiled.

"I thought you… why have you done this? Why did you act like that awhile ago? Why did you…?" he said, obviously confused over the matter. As confused as he was, he didn't even know what to feel.

"There, there." Vaati smiled. "It is only the behavior of the winds. As their master, I believe that we share the same traits. But of course, I would have to teach them if they have done enough. I do believe that the wind's constant inconsistency is one of its traits that we commonly share, dear hero."

"Vaati…" Link could not believe what words came out from his friend. "I-Is that really you…?"

"Ask him." Vaati responded.

"Huh… what?"

"Link…" Dark tried to speak out. He sat and rubbed his head, as if awakening from a deep slumber.

"Oh, are you alright? I'm so sorry…" the Minish said, looking quite worried.

"Y-Yeah…"

"Hmph, I see." Vaati replied blankly.

"L-Link…?" a tone said, its sentence ending with a long yawn.

"What the heck…" Link looked at who called out his name…

"Link, what's going o… what…?"

Vaati rose up from his sheets, waking from his slumber. He looked around; he found his two friends… and himself… looking at him directly.

"Hmph. You're awake now, aren't you?" said the sorcerer beside Dark.

"T-Two Vaatis?" Link said, all the more confused. He then remembered their previous battle when they tried to save their friend from certain doom.

"Shadow Vaati…" he uttered, looking at the figure beside Dark.

Indeed, the figure beside Dark did look like Vaati; but Link was right about him being different. He looked exactly like Vaati, but he had a certain aura that was hard to shrug off. He had a face just as attractive, but could not have a mellifluous smile as the angelic light self of his. His flowing hair was faded dark violet in tone, velvety to the touch. His skin was noticeably paler, giving off a grayish shade much like the hero's shadow. His eyes were slanted and cat-like and as crimson as ever; unlike his light self's eyes that looked as if they were made out of ruby, precious and tame.

"Yes…?" the sorcerer's shadow replied with a deceivingly sweet tone.

"I thought we already had a truce." Link said, approaching the two shadows.

"Well, was it necessary to bring up that topic again?"

"Well… I… I…"

"Yes, my light self opened it up… but was it necessary to force him on what he had to say? You even had to grab him and force him out of it… that's what led me to do this to you. Remember that, Dark? That little… headache that you had earlier? I believe that you recognised me, and I'm quite delighted that you knew and informed that boorish hero."

"Why I oughta…!"

"Stop, Link. He's got a point." Dark said, trying to stop the hero from hitting the other shadow and trying to help him keep his cool.

"Dearest Dark… you are a shadow truly worthy of my trust. Come, and I will give you another chance…"

"We still have a truce!" Link butted in. He became very furious with Shadow Vaati. "You swore to your light self that you would not do anything drastic ever again!"

"Indeed, and I have no intention of breaking that promise. However…"

"However what?!" Link collared Shadow Vaati, his calm eyes replaced with raging ones.

"Imbecile! Now you're beginning to act like that blue fool!" the sorcerer's shadow tried to struggle.

"I…" Link let go of him. He realized that Blue had taken control of him just a bit back there.

"It's only fair that a simpleton like you realise how much trouble you put me through!"

The dark sorcerer tried to recover from the hero's sudden grasp and once more opened his eyes. He looked around and stared at the hero most especially. His eyes showed mixed emotions, but it was evident that he was still furious from deep inside himself.

"The trouble that the hero and the traitor put me through…"

"SHUT UP!" Dark stood up and looked angrily at the other shadow.

"My, my… stung by the bitter truth now, are we?"

"If you'd please stop calling me that…" Dark raised his fist, glaring with his piercing eyes. They were particularly intimidating at the time that even the brave hero Link flinched seeing him so angry.

"Hmph. Alright, how about the betrayer, then?"

"You have no idea how much I went through for you…"

"And stole my Dark Mirror and left me there with those… those animals?!"

"But if it weren't for me, YOU'D BE DEAD, NONEXISTENT, GONE! Hear that…? GONE!"

The shadow shouted so loud it left the two inhabitants of the light world frozen. They merely watched the verbal argument of the two.

"…I suppose you're right." Shadow Vaati answered.

"Yes… yes, Fuu… I saved you from certain doom…"

"'Fuu'? It's Gufuu, and don't you forget it."

"But, Fuu… isn't that how we agreed to call you? After all…" Dark laid his left hand on Gufuu's shoulder. "…it's been a while since we… talked."

"Nnnngh…" Gufuu, or 'Fuu', calmed down and knelt on Dark's sleeping bag. He closed his eyes and seemed to meditate to calm himself down further.

Now that it seemed like it's finally over, Link decided to see if the two shadows were all right… especially Dark who was his close friend. He gently put his hand on Dark's shoulder, causing the shadow to look back at the hero behind him.

"You okay?" worriedly, the hero asked.

"Of course." smiled the hero's shadow.

"What the heck was that? What were you guys talking about?"

"Well…" Dark looked sheepish and shied away from the hero's stare. "Uh… you see… Fuu-chan and I…"

"'FUU-CHAN'?! DARK, DO SAY YOUR PRAYERS NOW FOR IT WILL BE YOUR LAST!" Fuu responded in a fit of rage, being reduced to be called something as horribly cute as "Fuu-chan".

"Fuu-ch…" Link trailed off to held laughter.

"As I was saying, Fuu and I…" Dark looked at his shadow companion. "We WERE something like friends back in the shadow world, after our epic fight with each other. Remember? That was when I toppled the Dark Mirror over…"

"..So we could defeat Fuu-chan the evil wind sorcere… GAH, I mean…!" Link blushed and chuckled, hearing himself call the threatening shadow wind sorcerer a pet name.

"F- you." was all Fuu could say to Link. He then crossed his arms and turned his back, closing his eyes to fit his snobbish mood.

"So… I'm interested." Link exclaimed. "Tell me; what is your story, Dark? …And Gufuu?"

"Well, Fuu? Should we?"

"So that he'll know what an inferno you two… or you five Links put me into after banishing me into the Shadow World."

"Very well…"

Dark began to narrate their story. Vaati seemed to be totally engrossed in what Dark had to say. After all, he really had no idea what life his shadow had, as he had stated some months back.

***

"GET HIM!"

"Aaagh! Please don't!"

The scenery was a dark, warped town. It looked a lot like the land of Hyrule; only it's very twisted, sinister, and full of shadows. Its hues are mostly of black, purple, and red… the hues of darkness and despair.

The inhabitants of the said land are chasing a lone young boy; all dressed in a sinister cloak with indigo garbs with red pants and sandals to go along with the dark atmosphere. His skin was very pale and purplish in tone, and his hair was long and dark violet; its length stopping a little below his underarms. The poor boy was obviously terrified of the angry mob.

"N-No… leave me be… please!" pleaded the pale youth as he was cornered along the castle walls.

The villagers, most especially the male, went closer to the young sorcerer holding their weapons. The poor terrified boy could only stare in terror as they attempted to kill him. How do you kill a shadow, you ask? Simple, drive him off to the light world where there exists no darkness to extend it.

"L… Let me go… please!"

They bound the sorcerer with ropes, both arms and legs. They also covered his mouth with a gag to silence his muffled screams, as he struggled to get free from their harsh grasp. Alas, the youth was overpowered and everyone took him inside Hyrule castle.

"Let's see what the King and the Princess has to say for this." one of the men in the noisy crowd said.

The young shadow sorcerer was roughly pushed in front of the king, and he was forced to kneel. The gag from his mouth was harshly taken away, and one of the guards held him by his hair and forced him to look up at the king. It wasn't hard to tell that the poor boy was in tears, practically pleading for mercy through his eyes.

"What will we do with him, Your Majesty?" asked the guard who held him.

"Hmmm… well, we are all witnesses to what he has done. Even me…" the king stated and was left in a deep thought.

"Death sentence!" shouted the majority. The rest of the people just made murmuring and other noises that couldn't be made out anymore.

"B-But…!" the sorcerer's words were cut as one of the guards beside him held his sword and put the cold blade next to his neck. The youth was left speechless and defenseless as he tried to stare at the blade with fear.

"Wait! Let him speak." the king spoke.

By order of the king, the youth spoke out for himself.

"Y-Your Majesty, it would not be fair… after all, I only did this for the betterment of our world! Imagine… the world of light engulfed in our darkness, darkness of which you will reign! All of it! I only did it for your glory, Your Highness!" he defended himself, trembling and tears coming out from his eyes; hoping for the best.

"But this was the second time you misused the dark power." the king debated.

"I… I will not do it again… I promise!"

"No! Don't give him another chance!" shouted one from the mob.

"He almost starved us to death!" shouted another.

"Ah, yes… that incident three years ago… when he first used his power to petrify people's bodies." the king recalled the incident.

"And then the second time around, he disturbed the peace by concocting monsters and shadow hero clones alike which never did us any good anyway! Thanks to that, we completely lost contact to the light world and we were banished as 'shadow slaves' of the people of the light world again!" another one protested.

"Hmmm… yes…" the king thought yet again. Giving a sentence to this threatening youth may be a problem. There was no way to give him a life sentence at this rate!

***

"Incidents…" Link interrupted.

"Those incidents when you encountered Vaati. The second was when you faced off with his monster self. First would be when you were with Ezlo…" Dark explained. "The villagers almost starved to death back home since we all depended on you for our nutrition back there."

"Really?" Link wondered.

"Yep. That's why we take after your shape, actually. We depend on you for everything. But the two of us, being materialized shadows living in the light world… I guess we could now morph ourselves however we want to. As shadows, we follow everything you do, but are very flexible since we really almost never have a definitive form. All shadows have the power to morph, just as long as our masters are not facing the light of which we fear."

"For instance, when you people of light are in deep slumber during nightfall… us, your shadows, take any form we want for there will be but little light to harm us." Fuu added.

"Wait a minute… so when you said something about Gufuu not having a definite shape back when you took Vio's form…" Link said, his eyes widened as he remembered his first adventure with his alter egos.

"Yep." Dark smiled. "He doesn't have a definite form because that monster wind mage you fought was indeed Shadow Vaati. Light Vaati here was back home, probably with Ezlo or something. He had total control of himself back then, but now…"

"Please… I want to hear more…" Vaati stared at Dark, hugging his plush cucco.

"Sure thing."

***

"Please… pity this young magician!" the youth once more pleaded.

"I believe that this will be hard." the king declared.

"Papa, should we really?" the shadow princess inquired.

"I guess we are left with no choice."

"I… I… please… please don't…!" the poor boy let tears stream down his cheeks as the guards still held him by his hair.

It seemed hopeless… with a crowd like this and all the evidences and accusations pointed against him, he was sure to get a death sentence.

"Hey! Hey, Kiiiingyyyyy!" shouted a voice.

"Kingy?" the king reacted to this.

"Yeah, Kingy! Imma talking to ya!"

A youth with purple hair and an all-black attire appeared right in front of everyone. His eyes were baby blue and his skin was a bit fairer than most of the shadows gathered in the king's presence. His hat was flowing in a distinct manner such as that of a flame never seeming to run out. He let out a sweet yet devilish smile that made most, if not all, of the people scowl and react.

"I want to be hired as your jester, please!" he said, bowing exaggeratedly.

"I'm sorry but… first, we already have one and he doesn't need a companion. Second, this isn't quite the right time. Third, you're the hero's shadow!" the king spoke.

"Awww…. killjoy. But please, allow me to perform even just one magic trick for you, Your Majesty!" he pleaded with utmost desire. He let out his most innocent eyes gleaming and staring at the king's eyes as he let out an innocent pout.

"Nnnh… very well." the king gave in. "Just one magic trick and off with you!"

"But we should also get him! He's a pawn of the Gufuu guy!" shouted one of the shadow villagers.

"Silence! Go on, young man."

"Here we go! Of course, I would need a *ahem* lovely assistant…"

Thinking that it was the shadow princess Zelda, she almost stood up but no… Shadow Link pulled the would-be convict instead!

"And NOW! The moment you've all been waiting for, I'm going to make this dude looking like a lady…"

"WATCH IT, IMBECILE!" yelled Gufuu.

"…DISAPPEAR!" Shadow continued.

"GAH!" Gufuu disappeared in thin air, leaving only smoke and magical traces behind.

The audience applauded. They were quite entertained by Shadow's little magic show, to think that there would be an entertaining magician of this young age.

"So, where is he?"

"And now… the REAL moment you've been waiting for…" Shadow raised and waved his hands and smirked at the people.

The crowd stared and waited for the best that will be to come…

"Bye-bye~" Shadow Link said quite teasingly and disappeared in front of the people after engulfing himself in a puff of smoke.

There was not a trace of him, not a single one. The guards went on a search around the castle grounds as ordered by the king, but there was no luck. The two youngsters disappeared for good.

_'If they disappeared for good; that would be nice. But if they just fled… that would be a problem. Dang, sadly… I don't think any of us know where this shadow hero lives…'_ thought one of the soldiers on the search.

Meanwhile, in a quaint Victorian house a little far away from the town of Hyrule…

Shadow Link slowly walked over to the wind sorcerer, who sat on the ground still bound by ropes. He just looked at him with a smirk and chuckled.

"What's so funny?!" the annoyed sorcerer angrily asked.

"You just look so… cute, struggling like that. I mean, talk about turnabouts! To think you were in command not too long ago…" Shadow laughed once more.

"CUTE?! If you are trying to humour me; you fail… horribly!" Gufuu struggled even more.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" the hero's shadow laughed yet again. "Tell you what, I'll let you go if you give me a very, very honest answer."

"Go on."

The shadow closed his eyes. In a matter of seconds, his whole body was engulfed in dark aura, a very powerful one at that; that it created some sort of a small black hole, almost sucking in the room's contents including the young shadow magician.

After a few moments, the dark aura dissipated and there stood a different yet similar figure of the hero's shadow. His hair turned white; center-parted, his skin tone turned ashy, and when he opened his eyes, his eyes had turned scarlet.

"Tell me… do you still recognize me as 'Shadow Link', the one that you intended to mass produce?"

"I have never created such a thing."

"Good. Because this will benefit you."

"What? WHOA!"

Gufuu's eyes widened as he felt Shadow Link carry him in his arms, as he was still bound and helpless.

"WAIT! What in Hyrule's name…?!"

"You entertain me with your screams, Gufuu." laughed the hero's shadow again. "C'mon, as your little 'experimental subject'; rename me, will ya?"

"Rename you? For what if I may ask?" said the magician trying to struggle free, scowling at the other shadow carrying him.

"They know me as Shadow Link… now if you call me another name, they won't recognize me, no? After all, little kid soldier trainees dress up like moi so there's nothing to worry about my attire, just my name."

"Well… let me rename you, 'Dark'" Gufuu raised a brow.

"And Gufuu would be a name standing out like a sore thumb in this world. Let me call you, 'Fuu'."

"Fuu?! How disgustingly cute!" ranted the sorcerer.

"I know~" Dark smiled at him mischievously. "Come on, Fuu-chan… let's go to my room so I could get my sword and free you!"

"FUU-CHAN?!"

And the two went away, going upstairs to Dark's room…

***

"So that's where the nicknames came from!" laughed Link.

"IIYYYYYEAHP~" Dark smiled, closing his eyes in satisfaction.

"But why were you so furious when I renamed you the same thing? F… I mean Gufuu here also named you 'Dark' right?"

"One, you've no originality; two, I didn't ask you to rename me."

"One, I never knew; two, would you like to be called 'Shadow me' for all eternity? Actually, 'Dark Link' is a snazzy name… and it gives you more individuality than 'Shadow Link'… what do you want; be my 'dark side' or be my 'shadow'?"

"…Touché." Dark replied.

"Well, shall we continue? Or should we cease with this pointless fairy-tale?" Gufuu asked, quite irritated.

"OUR pointless fairy tale. Let's continue."

***

"So let me get this straight… I'm in this outfit, and you're taking me out in the open?! Such foolishness!"

"Hey, once you go out; you'll see what I mean."

Gufuu and Dark were caught arguing one day just near the entrance of the quaint Victorian house of the dark anti-hero.

"You're turning me in, aren't you?" scowled the magician.

"Just play along with me and shut up, whydontcha?!" Dark hastily grabbed the sorcerer and hurried to the town square.

Upon arriving, they found out that people were busy with their normal lives. But as the two passed by them…

"I-Isn't that the…"

A male villager, probably in his thirties, grabbed Gufuu by the arm tightly and hurt the young boy, causing him to groan. Dark immediately knew what to do…

"Hey, let go of my friend!"

"Hey, aren't you that Shadow kid?!"

"Heck, no! Does Shadow have white hair?"

"You could easily dye it, you know."

"And my skin? Dang, use your mind, whydontcha?! I can't tan my skin like this overnight… and I can't be using any paint on my skin! Look, it's authentic. AU-THENT-IC!"

The man touched Dark's bared arm and confirmed that the youth was not kidding at all.

"Then what of your 'friend' here?"

"He's a fellow cosplayer! Geez, haven't you heard of them?"

"A cosplayer, huh? Heh…"

The male villager looked intently into Gufuu's eyes. As if in a trance, Gufuu stared back.

"You… your eyes remind me so much of him…" was what the villager had to say, his eyes lighting up a bit, with traces of sorrow seen, although vaguely.

"Huh…?" Gufuu could not comprehend, but he tried to. He felt something odd…

"Alright! Now GIVE HIM TO ME!"

Dark grabbed Gufuu from the man and walked away, pretending to be exaggeratedly angry over the matter.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Dark smirked once they were in a safe place, isolated from the crowd.

"I…" Gufuu bowed down his head. "What was that all about…?"

"Don't tell me you actually took that guy seriously. Fuu-chan, if I were you, I'd forget about that."

"I mean… that thing he said. I remind him so much like who? Who was he talking about?"

"Heck do I care. Listen, Fuu-chan. From now on, we need to avoid any leaks about who we really are, got that? No revealing of true names and absolutely no revealing of further identity!"

"I need not care about that second part. I can go out like this, but obviously you can't be Shadow Link anymore."

"You got me." Dark looked down at Gufuu, being taller than the Hylian-Minish shadow. "What do you say we go hunting in the woods? We just might be able to hunt down something good."

"Heh, I guess you're in charge now, my former pawn." Gufuu smiled wryly.

"Alright!" winked Dark at his companion, smiling and getting all excited for their hunt.

And so, off they went into the highlands…

As Dark trod on the forest trail, he took full advantage of his authority over Gufuu. Of course, who would ever pass this by? After all, it is your former master now right under your power. He would command Gufuu to stay close to him at all times, and if ever there were monsters…

"WHATTHEHECKYOU'REJUSTGOINGTOLEAVEMEHEREYOUS TUPIDSHADOW?!" Gufuu was very enraged as Dark left him amidst a circle of monsters.

"Teeheehee, that'll teach you not to be mean." giggled Dark as he glided away in a fair distance to see how the sorcerer would make his way out. "Come on! Whoop their booties real good! Chyeah~!"

"YOUSTUPIDSHADOWHELPMEOUTHERE ORSOHELPMEI'LLPULLYOUREARSSOHARDTHEY'LL  
BERIPPEDOFFANDI'LLSHOVETHEMUPYOUR-" Gufuu's words were interrupted as an octorok spat a big stone at him.

"THAT DOES IT! You want stones…? I'LL GIVE YOU STONES, FOOL!" Gufuu raised his right hand, pointed at all the enemies and said, "TO STONE WITH YOU! EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!"

As the day ended for them, they recalled all the events that took place in their hunting spree. Dark carried a jar full of chu jelly, a basket full of octorok meat, and a cage with a live black chuchu jelly just for the heck of it. Gufuu went ahead of the dark anti-hero, not looking back. He walked in a fast pace, making it tad hard for Dark to keep up with him.

"Hey now, you turn me into stone and this is how you treat me?!" Dark raised his voice after he couldn't take it anymore.

"It was YOUR fault. If only you had helped me back there, I wouldn't resort to using that stone spell. At the very least, be thankful. Be thankful that I was able to bring you back to your normal form." Gufuu walked constantly at a fast pace.

"Hey, come on! Wait up!"

Gufuu refused to listen and practically raced back home, until…

"FUU-CHAN!"

The sorcerer stopped in his tracks. The white-haired youth did not notice that he was going straight to where Gufuu suddenly stopped and bumped onto him.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you ignorant fool…"

"Eh?"

Gufuu charged at Dark without any hesitation, but Dark was far too alert. The black-haired youngster quickly dodged sideways, almost taunting the sorcerer's failed attempt to get him. When he turned back to look at Gufuu…

"Huh?" Dark wondered. He wasn't there.

"Get me home… STAT!"

It was then that Dark realized that Gufuu was already on his shoulders. Now he knows what that strange feeling was… it was the cold wind aiding its master to ride onto his shoulders. Now that he feels like a slave again, he heeded his "master" and walked back home as fast as he could with the entire load on his body.

After a few minutes, they finally arrived home. Dark let all the packages down on the floor in a small pile. But even after doing that, Gufuu seemed to refuse going down from his shoulders. The sorcerer merely gave him a snobbish pout, crossed his arms, and turned his head away with his eyes closed. Now Dark doesn't want anyone to be a jerk to him, so he got the craziest idea again.

"Alright, Fuu-chan. Let's go up to my room."

"As if calling me 'Fuu-chan' will make me change my mind… I'm already used to that, ignorant fool!"

So Dark indeed went upstairs to his room. He opened the door and entered. Luckily, the doorway was tall enough for the both of them to fit through without getting hit. It was either that, or they were short enough not to get hit by the door's beam.

"Okay, now to take off my boots…" Dark sat on his bed and took off his boots, but Gufuu remained sitting on his shoulders even without his support by holding onto his ears and head tightly.

"And now, to take a rest…" as fast as he could, Dark smacked down his body face up on the bed to squish the Hylian-Minish behind his back.

"UGK! DARK!" the Minish squirmed under the Hylian's weight.

The Hylian slowly smirked and quickly got a pillow to push Gufuu with on the bed, to make sure he stays pinned down. He looked down on the violet-haired boy and continued pinning him down with a pillow as the Minish struggled to get free.

"Nnnhh… DARK! Let go!"

"Lalalalala-la~ Ain't no way you know what I'm doing to you?"

Dark tickled the pinned-down Minish with his free hand and the Minish didn't seem to take it very well. Instead of laughter, he only heard screams and yells from his companion.

"I hate you, Dark…"

"Orly?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Shadows Meet

**Chapter 5: The Shadows Meet**

"So, I see you two developed quite the strange friendship." laughed Link, who was helping himself out with marshmallows. "Want some?" he lent out the bag to Vaati.

"Thank you." the Minish took some from the bag and popped them into his mouth.

The youngsters still hid in their tent, content in each of their sleeping bags. Since Gufuu had none, he just sat where extra sheets of blankets were piled.

"Teh. Got that right. This little Fuu-chan always gives me a hard time." laughed Dark as he sarcastically looked at Gufuu.

"Beg pardon?"

"YOU. ALWAYS. GIVE. ME. A. HARD. TIME. B-."

"YOU. S-Y. C-. F-. YOU."

"Eek!"

"Scared you, no?"

"No, I just feel bad that your profane line up there was edited. Lulz."

"SHUT UP! There are kids reading this you know! If we get censored for mature content I'll…" Link shouted at the both of them.

"Really? Reading what?" Vaati wondered, giving Link a quizzical look.

"Errr…."

"Oh dear, my beloved hero… you have broken the fourth wall." Gufuu giggled. "It's nothing, dear light self of mine."

"So, Vaati. You were fine with us saying those stuff awhile ago?" Dark asked, smiling.

"You mean 'b-' and 's-y c-'?"

"V-Vaati! Do you know what you're saying?!" Link said out loud, his eyes widened.

"Yeah, I hear it all the time from Master Ezlo." Vaati nodded. "What does it mean, anyway?"

Almost unanimously, the two Links thought, 'GAH! How ironic… and he complains that he once had Vaati rebel against him…'

"Dearest, innocent Vaati… it simply means 'she-dog' and 'a male chicken who poops'." Dark tried to play it safe.

Vaati then looked at his plush cucco in his arms. He giggled at the idea of Robin pooping, but it couldn't be. After all, Robin was just a toy.

"Then what's f- you mean?"

"Fudge…" Link gave himself a face palm, with an exasperated sigh to follow it.

"It's what your parents did so you would be brought to the world. That's it." Dark confidently explained.

"Just DON'T say it anymore, Vaati… DON'T. DON'T, I say…" Link looked at him with a wry smile after removing his palm from his face then looked at the two shadows with eyes of a person who was apparently annoyed.

"You s-y c- f- you, b-?"

The two shadows laughed in unison hearing this from an innocent mouth. They gave each other a man hug and acted almost as if they were drunk people who just came out from a bar. It seems like someone heard all the commotion…

"KKRRRRGOOOM!"

Someone from above that is. The heavens continued to weep as it growled at its sorrowful mood.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" shouted Vaati, hiding under the blankets.

"Oh, come on…" Gufuu smiled sarcastically at his light self. "It's just the thunder."

Dark chuckled at this. "So, what do we do now?"

"Your story… I want you to continue it." Link said, turning a bit serious.

"You really wanna hear the rest, don't you?" Dark stretched his arms upwards, as if he just woke from a deep slumber. "Well, whatever."

The two beings of light sat eagerly as they prepared to listen to more of their shadows' stories.

***

"So that's why they wanted you so badly. Well, good thing I saved you back there, huh?" smiled Dark quite mischievously, as if waiting for some reward from his former 'master'.

"Hmph. I assure you, do not get cheeky with me or you WILL see the light of day." answered Gufuu, quite annoyed by his companion's gestures.

"Really now?"

"Yes."

The two were just inside the anti-hero's room, quite a bit more elegant than his room in his home-to-be in the light world not far away in the future. The two were in their night attires. It was already considered nighttime in their realm; although the only difference between night and day in their world is the hue of the atmosphere and the temperature… at daytime, the atmosphere is a bit temperate and the hues are light red and grey; at nighttime, it was almost total darkness if it weren't for the aid of red waves all around. The temperature was almost too cold.

"So, shall I turn off the lights?" Dark asked. "Or do you want to stay up until 4?"

"Dark, what a stupid question from a foolish fool like you…" Gufuu shook his head. "We always stayed up late back in the light world… right?"

"PARTY!"

***

"'Turn off the lights?' What do you mean? I thought you hated light! You had nightlights there?"

"Link, we always believed that there must be a balance you know? It just so happens that most, if not all of us, prefer more darkness than light." Dark explained.

"Needn't ask to… I heard that many inhabitants of the light fear the dark. The same way, we fear the light. It is just a matter of preferences. Alas, people fear what they do not understand… you do not understand darkness and we do not understand light… until now, that is." Gufuu added.

"I… I see…" Link was left speechless with his newly discovered fact about dark realm inhabitants.

"Have I satisfied your curiosity? Well then…" Gufuu turned to Dark. "Dark?"

"Of course."

***

It was then that the two young shadows took a stroll around town that they saw two men grab the townspeople's attention…

The male villager that they have met earlier seemed to be in a bit a trouble…

Both men each had swords in their hands, each with a battle stance… ready to fight.

"I will not hold back. I'll give it my all." said the male villager they have met.

"Hmph. You honestly think you can beat me, little runt?" said a surly voice that came from the bigger, older man.

"Bring it on."

Both clashed swords in battle, and both were equally strong as no one seems to give in to each other's offensive attacks. The older man tried to outdo the younger by attacking him from the side, but the younger man was skillful enough not to fall trap. Once again, the clings and the clangs of the cold blades of their swords were heard, despite of the crowd's loud cheers and jeers.

When at last, the older man took advantage of the younger one's flaw of guard and he flung the sword in the air…

The younger tried to reach for his sword but the older was far too quick, he stepped on the sword the minute the disadvantaged young man laid his fingers on it.

"FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!"

The young one gave him a stare of desperation, feeling so defenseless now that he lost his sword. He was kicked by the older one to the ground and landed on his rear. He backed away as the other villager closed up to him, having the desire to finish him off.

It was then that nature seemed to know what was going on and aided him with the rain's sudden rage. The townspeople immediately ran back to their homes, each worrying for their own sake like the clothes they hung in their backyards and their health.

"Here…" while Gufuu was intently staring at the two still in their fighting spirit, Dark offered to shelter the both of them still watching the fight. "You didn't want to let this chance to see a fight pass by, did you?"

The two huddled under the umbrella's shade to avoid getting wet, especially Gufuu who wore sandals at that time. They continued to watch what the outcome of the battle will be.

The cornered villager looked desperate, and tried to look away from his opponent. He then saw the two still watching them. The rain carried the blood from his wounds, making them even more painful but upon seeing the two…

"What?" his opponent became tad surprised that he could still stand up in his condition.

"Leave me be… I have done nothing wrong…" he quickly charged at his enemy with full force and forced the sword to be flung in the same manner his sword was flung earlier.

"Now we can settle this like real men, a hand-to-hand combat." he smiled, though blood trickled from his mouth.

"Bring it on, shorty!"

The two men wrestled in the rain as the two merely watched them from afar.

"D'ya think we should help that guy?" Dark said, still keeping an eye for the two wrestling men.

"Leave him be. A real duel between men should not be interfered by meddlers. That's how it should be." Gufuu said, also watching intently at them.

"Hah… I knew you were all talk from the beginning!"

The older stood up as he spat down on his opponent, very tired and very injured from a fight with a burly man.

"I've got no time for this…" the older villager said, walking away with victory.

It was then that the two approached the fallen villager and checked up on him.

"Hey, you all right?" asked Dark.

"Ah… ahahah… yeah…" groaned the villager. "… What are you two doing out here… drenched in the rain…?"

"We are not drenched, my fine man. See our shade?" Gufuu snapped back.

"Hahahah… I guess you aren't… GIH!" the villager was in obvious pain as he cringed because of his wounds.

"Enough of this. Tell us, why did that man have a duel with you?" Gufuu asked.

"I guess I can tell you this much… I am not from this world… and he wants me out."

"Not from this world…?"

"I'm… AAGH!" he cringed once more as he struggled to get up.

"Easy there!" Dark helped him up.

"You… you people are not helpless after all, aren't you?"

"Heh… you know that." Dark smiled at him. "Fuu-chan, go on ahead without me. I'll have to take him home… bring the umbrella with you."

"Fine."

Gufuu set out on his own to Dark's house. It was a bit far, but he managed to get home with no worries since he knows the way. With his skill in wind magic, he manipulated the winds; he made it still as he was still on his way and let it sway on its will when he safely arrived home.

_'So that was why I was so enchanted by heartless men…' _he recalled the events; from when he conquered the light world, to his near-death experience, to the duel earlier today.

"The little black robin merely clings to others only because it is helpless alone… but if it wills, it may even defeat the mighty eagle…" Gufuu giggled at the idea of his master whom he had turned into a lowly hat.

"Ha… hahahahaha… HAHAHAHA! EVERYONE looked ridiculous!" laughed Gufuu as he remembered the stone people in all of Hyrule.

_'But mommy… and daddy… are not coming back…'_

"HUH?" Gufuu was very shocked to hear another voice.

He looked around and saw that no one but himself is there, laughing alone. Thinking that it was only his imagination, he recollected his evil deeds once more. For a very young boy of twelve; almost thirteen years, he did a lot of evil in his life.

_'Mommy… Daddy… where are you…? GAH! What am I thinking?!'_ Gufuu then realized that it was him. It was him of whom he heard lamenting upon his parents' separation from him.

"THEY LEFT ME! I shouldn't worry about them… I'm sure they didn't want a freak son like me, anyway…" Gufuu slammed his hands on the nearby window sill and stared outside, up at the heavens. He stared so intently up at the raging heavens and almost immediately, the winds obeyed him. They blew even harder and caused more damage outside.

"You she-dog…"

Gufuu was surprised to hear another voice… but he was certain that it wasn't him this time! He turned to look around…

"Dark… you're…"

"You did this, didn't you?"

Dark stepped inside, drenched. His clothes were in disarray and his hair and hat were disheveled. From the looks of it, he had a rough time going home.

"Dark…" Gufuu approached his companion.

He touched Dark's face and looked up at him. He looked at the weary youth and tried to fix his hair.

"Dark… I had no idea…"

"Hmph."

"…I shouldn't have left you alone…"

"And what makes you say that?" Dark said, giving a quizzical look.

"Did… did someone attempt to… to… you know…"

"YOU AND YOUR MIND!"

"I mean, you're wet, and panting, and disheveled… someone must've taken the rain's advantage to…"

Dark immediately jokingly hit Gufuu's forehead. Both laughed at what they have been talking about.

"You may now scrub my back in the bathroom." Dark announced.

"Screw you." Gufuu turned away and went to the staircase.

"Nu-uh-UH! It was YOUR fault that I had a hard time now, wasn't it?"

"Teh… so what?"

"And it was because of you that I didn't come home with my umbrella."

"But you told me to go home with it! Oh, Dark… did you honestly think that you could outsmart me?"

"And guess why I look like this right now?" Dark referred to his current look; white hair, shadowy skin, red eyes… everything about who was once "Shadow Link" was different.

"Nghhh…"

And so, Dark had a nice bath in his tub.

"A little to the left… OOOOOOH! Yes, yes… that's it…"

"Silence, fool."

Gufuu became so lowly as to scrub Dark's back with a loofah. His sleeves were rolled up in order for them not to get wet. He also took off his pants since they were already wet from the rain, making his tunic look like a dress again. His hair was kept neat with a red ribbon, and his bangs were a bit moved away from his face with an ornamental hair clip that had a little décor which resembled his alternate monster form, although it was made cute for that hairclip.

"Let me sing you a song… I think this should officially be your new theme song!  
Oh, oh, oh - Go totally crazy!  
Forget I'm a lady!  
Men's shirt, short skirts!" sand Dark as he pointed at Gufuu's pissed off face then to the sorcerer's wardrobe at the moment.

"Ooh, oh, oh-Being all wild yeah, DOING IT IN STYLE!" he pointed at Gufuu's hairstyle.

"Oh, oh, oh-get in the action, FEEL THE ATTRACTION!" he said as he pointed the bathroom's mini electric fan at Gufuu's tunic.

"DAAAAAAAARK!" screamed Gufuu, as he tried to keep his tunic down when the winds tried to flip it up.

"Color my hair, do what I dare!" he pointed at the sorcerer's colored hair of which should be of a lighter lavender color.  
"Ooh, oh, oh! I wanna be free yeah to feel the way I feel..  
MAN, I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN~  
Dandandaradarandan~"

"And that's exactly what I'm going to do." Fuu scowled.

"What? Feel like a woman?"

"No… DO WHAT I DARE!" Gufuu went out of the door with Dark's towel. "Go find a way to dry yourself up after you're done."

"What the… HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!"

Gufuu merely winked an eye and stuck out his tongue in a flirty manner and left him alone.

***

"Wha'd you do when you were done taking a bath? Didn't he really give that towel back?"

"Hahaha, he didn't." Dark smiled mischievously.

"Then how'd you…?" Vaati was getting very curious.

"Let's just say… I made Fuu-chan scream when I was done."

"Shut. Up." Gufuu blushed and looked away after hitting Dark's head at the back lightly.

"That's predictable… it IS Dark we're talking about here." laughed Link, not that surprised at all.

"And then what happened?"' asked Vaati, pleading for the two shadows to continue.

***

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Dark stepped in his house, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Hmph." Gufuu merely scoffed at him and continued on his luxury time. He was lying down on the elegant sofa in the living room in front of an antique TV set. He laid down like a queen in her luxury bed, only this time this little "queen" ate popcorn while watching her favorite shows.

He heard Dark go upstairs slowly, with thuds following his footsteps.

"Dark, what have you there? A large visitor?"

But no one answered. He just shrugged it off and continued watching. He didn't want to start a conversation with Dark anyway.

It was already 2:00 in the morning when Dark went down the stairs. He went down to get a drink and to check his friend out since no one was beside him that night. After getting a glass of water from the fridge, he heard noises from the living room…

"No… NOOOO!"

"Fuu-chan?!"

Dark hurriedly rushed to the living room. Yes, he indeed saw his friend Fuu-chan lying down. The TV set was still on and apparently he didn't bother to turn it off after he laid down on the sofa.

"Fuu-chan, you…"

And then he heard someone make a very loud noise. It was a monstrous noise, whatever made it. He was afraid that his beloved home was intruded…

_'What if we got found out? What if… it's no use trying to hide ourselves from the castle now…?'_ grim thoughts began to fill Dark's mind.

There was that noise again. This time, he became protective of Gufuu, fearing that he may be hurt once more. He quickly grabbed the sorcerer and shielded him. He then sat still with the sorcerer in his arms and looked around, scanning the living room.

The noise grew louder. He looked around once more… there must be something making that noise! But… but wait. What?

"The heck…" Dark looked at Gufuu, who was snuggling onto him in his sleep.

"SNOOOOOORE~"

"Naughty little Fuu-chan…" Dark smiled. He realized that no one was in danger. That noise was merely Gufuu, snoring loudly in his sound sleep. But… but who screamed just a little while ago?

"You'll never take me alive!"

Dark turned his head. It seems that Gufuu was watching a detective show marathon, and it was still ongoing to this very hour. He must've fallen asleep watching all those episodes. And that one screaming must've been the show's victim.

"Goodnight… Fuu-chan." Dark smiled, carrying his friend upstairs to their room to have a proper bed.

_'Goodnight indeed…I need to take care of you no matter what… it's a promise I made.'_

***

"How sweet!" laughed Link at the two shadows. "I never knew that you were the type to go soft on a person!"

"No, I'm not." Dark answered. "Tell me, when I tried to make fun of him… was that sweet?"

"I guess not." Vaati smiled sweetly.

"Anyway, yeah… we went on like that. Yeah."

Link yawned. "What time is it again?"

"3 in the morning. The clouds stopped weeping a long time ago." Gufuu answered, tucking himself in Dark's sleeping bag.

"Heyyy… get out of my sleeping bag!"

"Share your blessings, Dark." he made himself comfortable, snuggling in the sleeping bag.

"FFFFFF…" Dark could not take that for an answer, so he forced himself in the occupied sleeping bag as well.

"Get out of my sleeping bag!"

"YOUR sleeping bag?! This was mine before you came along!" Dark rumbled in the sleeping bag.

"IMBECILE!"

"Yeah, you two quarrel about that little sleeping bag. Come on, Vaati. Let's leave them alone and sleep already.

"Alright. Goodnight, Link." Vaati smiled as he made himself comfortable in his sleeping bag.

"Sleep tight." Link smiled back, snuggling in his own sleeping bag.

The two slept well, though they could still hear the two shadows bickering. They just forced themselves to think it was a lullaby from the shadows. A very disturbing lullaby.


End file.
